Elderly residents in a popular lunch club have vowed to remain as “sitting tenants” amid fears their base at The Gables is to be sold off by Cheshire East Council.
More than 50 members of the town’s popular Luncheon Club have been told that Cheshire East is putting their Beam Street base up for sale.
Nantwich Town Cllr Arthur Moran said members were angry at the news as no new base has currently been identified.
He told last night’s town council meeting: “We take a very strong view of this decision in as much as we are sitting tenants in that building.
“We provide 50 meals every Tuesday and Thursday, the club is busy and popular, and we organise trips for them as well.
“It’s a community facility for a lot of senior citizens every week.
“Now we’ve been told it’s being put on the market before the end of the year!
“Well, we are sitting tenants in that building and we are not going to move until Cheshire East provides alternative facilities which are equivalent to or better than we have already.
“As far as I am concerned, they can put a sign up but they are going to have to sell it with sitting tenants in it. We are staying there.”
Councillor Les Gilbert, Cabinet member for localism and enforcement, said: “We are working with a range of partners to develop a Community Hub within Nantwich and we have been looking at various buildings around the centre of the town, which could provide suitable facilities for a range of user groups.
“We all want the very best for the Gables Luncheon Club and we will do everything we can to stand by our commitment to find a suitable venue.”
Councillor Janet Clowes, Cheshire East’s Cabinet member for care and health in the community, said: “Council officers are visiting the lunch club regularly to keep members and volunteers informed about progress.
“Our hope is that the new venue will provide this much loved and highly valued club with better facilities and the opportunity to expand, as it is currently full to capacity.”
The Citizens Advice Bureau, also currently in the Gables, is due to vacate the building and move to Nantwich Library in April 2015.
Cllr David Marren suggested any funds from a sale of The Gables could be invested in developing Nantwich Civic Hall.
“If the funds from the sale are for community use, then the Civic Hall is the main community venue we have,” he told the town council meeting.
“If we could work together, we could develop a superb facility for the next 20 years or more.”
Could someone please contact me regarding community project
KEEP THE GABLES, IT IS PART OF THE HISTORY OF NANTWICH. DO NOT SELL IT. I AM A PENSIONER OF 75 ON MY OWN AND WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE LUNCHEON CLUB, BUT THEY ARE FULL UP. SAVE IT. NOT SELL IT.