Anger as club deal collapses

Developer John Guildford has submitted an application to City of York Council planners to demolish the struggling Promenade Working Men's Club and replace it with the dozen apartments.

The Evening Press reported in November that the club, in St Benedict's Road, would be saved, after planners approved his original plan to replace the existing building with ten flats and a smaller version of the club below them.

But this was rejected by club members over a disagreement on housing the club steward in one of the flats.

The club originally teamed up with Mr Guildford's development firm in order to survive. The developer loaned the club's committee a six-figure sum to keep it afloat for a year, while an application to build 18 flats and a smaller club below them was processed.

But planners turned down this scheme and the number of apartments was reduced to ten - without the provision of a steward's flat.

Mr Guildford says he now owns the club outright, claiming that the club failed to pay him back the loan within a set time limit.

"The option all along was to keep the club open and we had a way to do that, which the members chose to reject," he told the Evening Press.

"I also offered to rent the club out to them, but they turned it down. Our new plan is the only option left to us." But committee members said today they were "furious" and claimed Mr Guildford had not met them halfway.

Committee stalwart Maurice Bridge said members rejected the plan as they felt it was vital that their steward be housed in a flat at the site.

"The plan was unacceptable," he said. We will fight this all the way and I'm sure it will end up going to court.

"Unfortunately, the club's closure now seems inevitable."

Pauline Bridge, a committee member for ten years, said: "Our members want it to stay open."

The club, which has 200 members, was established more than 100 years ago and formerly based in Vine Street.

Updated: 10:48 Monday, February 16, 2004