Council loan boosts plan to save Telford social club

Dawley Social and Memorial Club is facing closure due to a collapsed roof and dilapidated walls and floor, which members cannot afford to fix.

When the damage occurred in 2012, Telford & Wrekin Council could not justify paying for the repairs and instead gave the club the freehold with the understanding that members would seek funding for a revamp.

But two years on and volunteers have been unable to come up with the cash and asked the council if it would pay for the repairs in return for higher rent.

Councillors at last night's Telford & Wrekin cabinet meeting agreed to foot the £179,500 bill for repairs to the roof, walls and floor and charge a £16,150 fee for overseeing the work.

As part of the new agreement, the club must enter into a new 16-year lease and eventually buy the building. The club will pay a one-off rental premium of £10,000 plus rent set to recover the costs of the repairs plus interest.

The social club on King Street was founded in about 1930 in a former hall gifted to the community.

It has gradually been extended and is now a central part of the town's social scene, with 600 members.

Telford & Wrekin's finance chief Bill McClements said it was the authority's "only option" to pay for the repairs because the club was important to the community and volunteers had worked hard to develop a business plan for the building's future. He said the premises would struggle to be let in its current state of disrepair, meaning it was likely to become increasingly derelict and cost more to repair in the long term.

Also, a covenant which states the building must be used "for the benefit of the inhabitants of the said district of Dawley in perpetuity" makes it unattractive to investors as it makes redevelopment virtually impossible without paying to lift the covenant.

Councillor Liz Clare said: "This is the heart of the community and if you let that go then it's gone forever."