Manchester’s Carlton Club wins two-month eviction extension
With more time for lease discussions, the community venue has suggested the need for an independent mediator going forward
Manchester’s historic community centre, the Carlton Club, has won a two-month extension on its eviction notice.
The lease will now end on January 10, giving the venue more time to discuss potential solutions with the building’s owner, the Carlton Social and Bowling Club Building Company Limited.
In response to its win, Carlton Club has suggested that an independent mediator would help the process going forward.
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News of the extension comes after six weeks of negotiations, during which the venue launched a fundraiser to help with the legal costs of fighting the eviction notice, and a Change.org petition to support its case.
At the time of publishing, the campaign has raised £33,349 of its £50,000 target, while the petition has garnered over 7000 signatures.
The Carlton Club also launched a limited run of t-shirts to help raise funds for its campaign, with the slogan "Save Our Club", printed by phonomerch.
The Carlton Social and Bowling Club Building Company Limited owns the Rowan Lodge and its surrounding grounds.
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The Carlton Club has been allowed to operate out of the Rowan Lodge since 1913, acting as both a social and cultural hub in the Whalley Range neighbourhood, southwest of Manchester's city centre.
In August this year, the Building Company announced it wanted to remove the Carlton Club from the premises and “run its own business from the site”, which would force the much-loved community centre to shut down.
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“This is good news and will certainly come as a relief to our staff, members and the wider community," says Justin Anderson, Acting Chair of the Carlton Club.
“The issues we are trying to resolve are complex, and it is clear we need more time to reach an agreement. To help the process, we have suggested that we progress the next set of talks with the help of an independent mediator.”
“We very much hope the Building Company will accept this suggestion, as we believe it offers the best route to achieving a lasting solution that recognises the needs of both organisations.”
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“While this is positive news, there is still a long way to go,” he added. “The future of the club relies on us achieving an affordable and workable lease that will protect it for the long-term. Until we achieve that, the club is still at risk.”
In the time since the eviction notice was served, the Carlton Club has continued to operate as a music venue (hosting DJs Laura Jackson and Jon Dasilva), and event space with activities including flamenco, a record fair, a poetry night, quizzes, and more.
On October 24, NTIA issued a warning that December 31 2029 could be the UK’s “last night out”, highlighting the extreme rate of closures this year.
Help the Carlton Club fight its eviction by signing the petition here, or donating to the fundraiser here
Meena Sears is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Instagram
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