320 supporters.
“We ask Central Bedfordshire Council to recognize the value of a social club to a community in providing a place for social interaction of the residents.
“The Houghton Regis Centre, a social club housed in temporary accommodation on the 'Co-op site, Houghton Regis' is being asked to vacate those premises by the end of July 2014, without any alternative accommodation being available. This is so that, under the terms of an arrangement between the parties, the Co-op can hand back the cleared site to the owner of the freehold, Central Bedfordshire Council. The club was a tenant of the Council until the time of the fire in 2006, but the Council has so far refused to indicate whether or not it will make provision for the club in any redevelopment of the site.”
LINK to Petition on Change.org.
Petition Closed.
This petition had 320 supporters
Alan Winter.
Cover Letter to Central Bedfordshire Council with signatures
Recipient: Central Bedfordshire Council
Letter: Greetings,
We call upon Central Bedfordshire Council to make provision for social club
premises in its re-development plans for the Co-op site, Houghton Regis.
The Houghton Regis Centre, a social club, has been established for 25 years. It
has always catered for the community, and even after the 2006 fire which
destroyed premises above the Co-op, Houghton Regis, has continued to serve its
members in temporary accommodation.
Despite the 2006 fire, the club still has almost 500 members, but the smaller
temporary accommodation in the Co-op car park is due to be handed back to
Central Bedfordshire Council, and the Co-op have requested that the site is
vacated at the end of July 2014.
The social club is for members of all ages, young and old, where they can come to
and enjoy meeting up with their friends, come in for a quiet drink, or to grab a bite
to eat.
This club has pool teams, ladies and mens darts teams, a Saturday and Sunday
football team, all sponsored by the club. The club presently has five members of
the pool team representing Bedfordshire. One of them, James Molloy, plays for the
England youth team.
The club has annual charity pool events, pool marathons, and an Easter pool
contest that raises funds for Keech Cottage and has been doing so for 23 years.
The club has raised thousands of pounds for charities including Help for Heroes,
Keech cottage and the Pasque Hospice.
The older generation in Red House Court pop in for company as they feel safe
here, and it is just a short walk for them. The older members enjoy being able to
meet up with their friends at the club, or even just to go in there on their own
knowing that there will be others in there to sit and chat with.
At Christmas, the club organises Pantomimes, something that a commercial pub
would be unlikely to provide for the local children.
A Social Club brings communities, and more importantly families, together of which
public houses never could. As membership is required, that is a reason why
families and the elderly alike, choose the club over pubs as it is more controlled
who comes in and who does not. This is a vibrant social club for families and
friends to meet in. To lose it, the local community would have so many people
displaced, not forgetting that the staff will lose their employment.
Please do everything in your power to permit the club to remain on the Co-op site,
Houghton Regis.
No comments:
Post a Comment