Mike Popham and Cllr Tony Potter Secure New Lease for St George's Popular Summerhill Club (Bristol East Liberal Democrats)

Bristol East Liberal Democrats <info@bristoleastlibdems.org.uk>

Mike Popham and Cllr Tony Potter Secure New Lease for St George's Popular Summerhill Club

March 18, 2010 10:17 AM

Last June Prospective MP for Bristol East Mike Popham joined forces with Ward Cllr, Tony Potter and Bristol Charities Chief Executive David Jones to attempt to win for the Summerhill Club's members an extension to its lease. The lease on the Club was due to end on 31st March 2010 meaning that it would have to close.

ST George residents and users of the area's Summerhill Club will shortly be able to celebrate a deal to secure its future, says local councillor Tony Potter (Lib Dem).

Bristol City Council has approved the deal to hand over the lease of the 40-year-old, rundown building to the Bristol Charities organisation. The Lib Dem-led council has agreed in principle to a 21-year lease on a peppercorn rent.

Bristol Charities are now set to invest in the repair and improvement of the building, in Summerhill Road, which still houses a lunch club for local elderly people and arts and dance facilities.

Councillor Potter said: "The council could not afford to update the place itself, so this is a brilliant solution.

"I invite the public to come down to the club to see how well things are going there now."

Mike Popham said "The lease is currently held by Bristol Charities and for this to be extended would enable David Jones to do as he wishes and invest a considerable amount of money in the club, all to the benefit of the local community. Tony and I are delighted at David Jones' persistence over several years to achieve this extention in lease and also to the City's Lib Dem administration for allowing it".

Visiting the club to meet members and sound them out for their views, Mike, Tony and David were met with a resounding "yes!" to the proposition. "Before visiting the Summerhill Club, I had not experienced such a warm, well supported and busy social centre." Mike said. "We must do all we can to ensure that this club continues to thrive. It is a 'benchmark social centre' and one that we would be wise to base our standards on for other such clubs", he added.