PLANS for the former home of East Winchester Social Club are unclear.
The long-standing club, on Chesil Street, closed its doors in 2015 after more than 90 years, before going on the market several times, once in 2015 and then again in 2022.
However, long-term plans for the building, which has become near-derelict, remain uncertain, with the identity of the current owners unknown.
The rear of the building has been graffitied, with photographs previously acquired by the Chronicle showing significant vandalism inside the building.
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As previously reported, the building was previously for sale for £800,000 in 2022 through Trinity Rose.
However, a spokesperson for the estate agents said that Trinity Rose stopped marketing the building in November of that year and that it could not comment on plans for the East Winchester Social Club.
Neighbours John and Pamala Higginson said they do not know what the owner's plans are for the building, adding that they had not seen any major changes at the property in the six years they have lived next to it.
Mr Higginson said: “We haven’t seen any activities taking place in the building for a while now. Occasionally we have seen people coming in and out and sitting on the roof, but not in the last year or so.
“It’s been on and off the market for a while – we looked into buying it and had an architect draw up some plans, but they had just taken it off the market.
“It is Grade II Listed, so it is more than just the frontage which is protected. There were plans some years ago because they wanted to run it as an art gallery, and they got plans to turn the front into two dwellings, but nothing has happened since we were here.
“We were encouraged by one of our other neighbours to write to the council and say ‘You’ve got to do something about it, it’s becoming an eyesore and it’s becoming a problem’, but the council said it is privately owned and there’s nothing it can do.”
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Chris Edwards, at the time the ward councillor, called the building a “missed opportunity”, saying that planning permission had been granted for the site twice, once in 2016 to turn it into a pair of dwellings, and again in 2020 to turn it into an art gallery.
He said: “Any derelict building in the city is an eyesore, a potential health and safety risk and a missed opportunity. Planning permission was granted with conversion to residential use. I have not yet been able to clarify whether that permission is still extant, but I’m sure most people would be happy to see houses at this site again.”
Winchester City Council has confirmed that planning permission at the East Winchester Social Club is still extant.
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