Why Southall Town Hall was chosen as one of the sites for the service
Southall Town Hall was chosen after several years of work to find suitable accommodation for the RISE service
The service has grown over time and there was a need to increase capacity, particularly in Southall, where levels of need are high.
The existing locations were too small to support the full range of treatment and recovery services needed in the town.
At the same time, the long-standing West Ealing hub was due to close because of redevelopment plans. This meant RISE needed new accommodation in other locations.
The intention was not to move services from West Ealing to Southall. The plan was to create 2 new hubs to ensure accessibility across the borough, and this is still being explored.
In the couple of years before Southall Town Hall was identified as a potential site, a number of sites were considered across the borough. In January 2024, the council approved plans for a new hub at 68 The Broadway, Southall. However, the proposal later fell through when the premises became unavailable.
After The Broadway proposal fell through, Southall Town Hall became the only suitable alternative site available in Southall at that time. The building was large enough to support clinical treatment, recovery activities and joint working with partner organisations, and met the standards needed to run a clinical service.
As Southall Town Hall is owned by Ealing Council, the council was able to make the building available for a service it has a legal duty to provide.
The move to Southall Town Hall was part of a longer search for suitable accommodation across the borough. It was not a decision driven by concerns about anti-social behaviour at previous RISE locations.
The longer-term aim is to improve access to services across the borough and reduce reliance on a single main hub location. There is active work to explore options in other parts of the borough.