Re: Con Club
 

Anyway it's to late now, plans will be submitted, and passed. The interior is to far gone to repair, due to costs. So it's simply cheaper to demolish and build new. Shame as it was salvageable a few years ago...

Re: Con Club
 

Sometimes its hard work just find out where the owners are hiding, then forcing them to take action is another issue, its not just straight forward

Re: Con Club
 

When the Conservative Association decided to put it on the market, how much was it sold for?

Re: Con Club
 

'The former Conservative Club has been empty for a number of years. It was latterly a nightspot known as Churchills which closed in 2003. It was up for auction four years ago for a price of £450,000.'

'...owner Iftakharul Bhatti from Nelson-based Woodgreen Developments said that the building was in such a state of disrepair that demolition was now the only option.'

'MOST of the historic Accrington Conservative Club, including its famous ballroom, will be demolished under a £13million development plan, it has been revealed.'
Accrington Conservative Club ballroom faces demolition (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Re: Con Club
 

Haven't a clue Garinda, the building actually belonged to the Union of Conservative Clubs

Re: Con Club
 

I can't think it went for anything like £450,000 when sold originally, the reason it was sold was because it needed so much work doing on it, it was riddled with Dry Rot which would have cost, even in those days, £250k+

Re: Con Club
 

The last time I saw it up for auction was at least 2 years ago and it was for offers of £350k+.

Re: Con Club
 

£250k though ain't a lot of money, considering the front is worth at least double that. Such a shame that monies couldn't be found earlier, the owners are laughing all the way to the bank. By the time they have recycled all the back and interior, they will have enough money to put up a cheap prefab structure in its place.

Re: Con Club
 

O.K. mate lend us a "Monkey":D

Re: Con Club
 

I'm talking about the early 90s, now your talking £750K, it wasn't a viable concern at the time the only thing was to sell it

Re: Con Club
 

Yes, the days when there were enough Conservatives in Hyndburn to do the Dinky One Step, and fill that vast ballroom floor, are long gone.

:rolleyes::D

Re: Con Club
 

My step mum was Stewardess when it closed as a Conservative Club, as I remember, it went into Administration! x

Re: Con Club
 

I bet the local mulims are really ****ed off now...no sooner do they get planning permission for the mosque up Higher Antley Street, then this site comes along. Just think..Saturday morning call to prayer versus St Jame's Wedding Bell ringing. Who could make the most noise?

Re: Con Club
 

Thanks for linking to my site at www.theviewfromthenorth.org. :)

If the owners had actually got round to securing and maintaining the building, e.g. replacing the large window which had mysteriously fallen in on the top floor, then who knows, it might not have got into such a sorry state. But there again the ownership of this place seemed to be in question last year, as was the church over the road. I was meant to be legitamately visiting the church with the permission of the supposed owners, but it turns out they didn't actually own it. :confused:
But that's another story.............

Acquiring a listed building and letting it rot until it's beyond economic repair (especially with the ridiculous demands placed on the restoration of listed buildings by English Heritage) is a tried and tested way of over-riding planning rules. However, it is more above board than finding that arsonists have burnt the place down, which is just as effective.

Re: Con Club
 

The Con in its hey day was used by all the community, Saturday and Monday nights in the sixties was choker block, its one problem was all those bloody stares :D