Frustrated Suffolk villagers have called for answers over the future of their community centre, after talks over a new lease reached a sour stalemate.
Stanstead Parish Council and the directors of Stanstead Village Community Centre and Social Club CIC have been unable to agree terms for a new lease on the building, which has not been updated for more than 50 years.
The CIC was formally notified last month that the parish council had rejected its latest proposal, saying the terms would place an “unviable financial burden” on both the trust and the council.
However, the CIC has argued that a long-term lease is essential if it is to secure major grant funding, invest in improvements and safeguard the centre’s future.
Residents have now organised a meeting to take place tomorrow to discuss their concerns and seek greater clarity from both organisations.
A parish council spokeswoman said councillors attending the meeting would not be able to answer questions because of “ongoing concerns regarding the conduct of others”.
In a statement seen by the East Anglian Daily Times, villagers said they were “disappointed and heartbroken” by the situation.
“We love our community centre. Residents have the right to know what is happening, but the reasons behind all of this remain very unclear”, they said.
“There are no winners in this situation, only losers, and it is the residents who will pay the price. Strong personalities and differences need to be set aside for the greater good of the village.”
Documents show the parish council accepts that a new lease is needed and says it wants to support the centre, but it is “very limited on funds”.
A series of proposals and counter-proposals from both sides have so far failed to produce an agreement.
Tensions were also evident at the parish council meeting on September 1, when councillors issued a statement responding to what they described as “incorrect information that is currently circling around the village”.
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The council said it had “no intentions to close the community centre”, and that it would “very much continue to operate, in one form or another”.
A residents’ group subsequently claimed that “no-one was allowed to voice their opinions” at the meeting.
The parish council said it was acting in the interests of the community, but had to remain within its financial and legal constraints.
It believes the terms proposed by the CIC would breach those constraints.
The council also warned that harassment, aggression or violence towards its members would be “totally unacceptable”, stressing that councillors are volunteers and members of the local community.
The dispute has attracted particular concern because of the centre’s long history in the village.
Land at the site was gifted to the community in 1938 in memory of First World War veterans, providing a meeting place for former servicemen.
The original building was a wooden hut used by the Old Comrades Club.
The site is now home to a community centre and social club offering events, a bar, snooker and table tennis facilities, alongside regular activities for residents of all ages.
The CIC says securing a new long-term lease would allow it to pursue grant funding and make improvements to the site.
The parish council said the matter was complex and involved ongoing legal issues, meaning it was not appropriate to discuss the details publicly at this stage.
However, it reiterated that it was “keen for the community centre to thrive” and had “no intentions of closing it”.
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