The Ivy Leaf Club, Whittlesey, will close on or around July 4 – but the building is already up for sale for £895,00.
Club chairman Mark Smith said that as a limited company the club needed to achieve agreement from at least 75 per cent of its members before it could be closed and sold.
“We are now at that figure and the building will go up for sale very soon,” he told me yesterday. He did not say the club was already on the market and being offered as a “development opportunity”.
Closure comes only two months after Mr Smith posted to social media that “I have heard some rumours today that the club has closed.
In #whittlesey things are moving v fast. Closure of Ivy Leaf social club announced recently. Closure date announced of July 4 yesterday. On same day, this pic.twitter.com/EPZlqXzZAS
— John Elworthy (@johnelworthy) May 13, 2023
“This is not true and as a result if you have been told this then you shouldn’t believe the idle malicious gossip merchants trying to hurt further a business which is already struggling.”
Picture by Terry Harris.
The decision to close was made by those members attending the club’s annual meeting last month.
“At the AGM the members voted that due to the club running at a constant loss the best thing was to cease trading,” said today.
“As with everything to do with limited companies there is a process, this one involved agreement from 75% of the members to agree to the sale of the building.
“We are now at that figure and the building will go up for sale very soon. The club will remain open for a few weeks to allow us to host the last few functions, service some member requests and finalise some issues.
“We will look to close on or around the 4th July 2023.”
Picture by Terry Harris.
He added: “The property and land sale may take some months/years. At the end of the sale all creditors will be paid off, taxes paid and then any monies left will be distributed amongst the clubs paid up members.
“Delivering this message gives me no pleasure at all. I am saddened to have to close the club, I can assure you that the committee, officers, and I have done our best.
“The hard facts are the club isn’t taking the monies it needs to operate and with only 40 active members this simply isn’t sustainable.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officers, my bar staff, the committee, our members, and people who have used the club for their support over the years. “
