Town councillors are considering taking control of The Gables venue in Nantwich to stop it being sold off to private buyers.
Cheshire East Council has revealed its intent to sell off the Beam Street asset in the new year, putting the town’s popular luncheon club at risk.
Cllr Arthur Moran told a council meeting last night (December 15) that only one other alternative venue for the club had been considered and no progress made.
And he re-iterated the club’s intent to “sit tight” and force Cheshire East to try and sell the building with sitting tenants if they do not help find another venue.
But Cllr David Marren suggested the town council could once again consider buying the venue, despite declining it when it was first offered to them in 2010.
Cllr Marren said: “We were offered The Gables at the same time as the market hall, civic hall, public toilets and other assets, but we declined it because of the amount of work that the building needed and cost of maintenance.
“Now we are back to that situation, we are one of the main users and I think a decision could be reached on this.”
He suggested the town council’s policy committee look into the possibility of buying it.
If the town council decided to act it would be on the basis that Cheshire East will transfer The Gables to the town council for the sum of £1 as with the other previous transfers, said a spokesman.
Cllr Moran, who welcomed the idea of buying the venue, added: “We’ve got one alternative venue we are looking at, but we believe the ‘for sale’ signs will be up in the new year.
“At the end of the day, the club members will make a decision whether or not they want to move from The Gables. If they don’t, they will be sitting there until a solution can be found.”
Cllr Graham Fenton said any sale of The Gables by Cheshire East would see funds from the sale allocated to “community use” in Nantwich.
“What community use means has to be specified more clearly, though,” he added.
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