Lack of Face-to-Face Support at Ealing Council Criticised

Lib Dems say opportunity has been missed as Perceval House reopens

Perceval House. Picture: Ealing Council

May 28, 2026

Space inside Ealing Council’s headquarters at Perceval House will at last be available for community groups, charities and small businesses to rent from  next Monday (8 June) — but Liberal Democrat councillors say the long-delayed opening still fails to address the needs of residents who rely on in-person support.

The new community area, created by refitting the ground-floor atrium, follows pressure from Lib Dem councillor Connie Hersch, who has repeatedly challenged the Labour administration over what she describes as the “under-utilisation” of the building since the shift to hybrid working in 2021. Although Labour previously indicated the space would be available in November 2025, the opening was pushed back .

According to the Liberal Democrats, it has taken the council more than five years to release any meaningful space for community use, despite large parts of the building remaining empty for long stretches of the week. Earlier enquiries by Cllr Hersch revealed that peak desk usage sits at around 800 staff — roughly a third of the workforce — with many employees working from home or out in the community. On Thursdays and Fridays, she found, entire sections of office space were left unused.

While the party welcomes the eventual opening of the ground-floor hub, it argues that the move falls far short of what residents need. The new space will not function as a customer service contact centre, and the Lib Dems say this leaves a significant gap for people who struggle to access services online or by phone.

Residents continue to report difficulties engaging with the council on issues such as housing, parking, fly-tipping and street cleaning. The Lib Dems say that digital-only routes, long phone queues and inconsistent community hub provision “disenfranchise and silence” some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents.

Cllr Hersch, Opposition Spokesperson on Crime, Anti-Social Behaviour, Communities & Culture, said the council had once again missed an opportunity to restore meaningful face-to-face support. “The Ealing Liberal Democrats are disappointed that this is another missed opportunity to meet the needs of residents who are crying out for strengthened resident engagement routes with face-to-face services for vulnerable residents. I am pleased that there is finally some progress, but it shows a real lack of interest by Ealing Labour on engaging with its residents on meaningful service provision.”

The debate over Perceval House has been ongoing for several years. In May 2025, the council announced refurbishment works to the south atrium to create a “vibrant, welcoming hub” for exhibitions, events and community use. 

A council spokesperson said then that only the ground floor could be shared for security reasons, and that upper-floor office space could not yet be safely accessed by non-council staff. The authority is currently reviewing its workplace strategy and says it intends to commercially market additional office space — including to community organisations — once works to the upper floors are complete.

Ealing Council was approached for comment.