A 130-year old community stronghold is due to move into new premises after striking a deal with a developer.
Planning chiefs at Newham Council have approved plans for a five-storey residential building on the site of East Ham Working Men’s Club in Boleyn Road.
The club has negotiated a deal with the developer, Lindhill, which will see the demolition of the existing two-storey venue which sits on a site almost half an acre in size before it moves into 719 square metres of space on the new building’s ground floor.
A spokesman for the Trustees of East Ham Working Men’s Club said: “We are thrilled our plans have been approved, allowing for a modern yet much more financially manageable club that safeguards our future.
“Despite clubs across the UK facing many social and economic challenges, East Ham Working Men’s Club provides a valuable environment for our treasured community and will now continue to do so for many years to come.”
The club’s fortunes took a turn for the worse when West Ham United moved from Upton Park to Stratford in 2016.
Despite laying on coaches to matches and retaining loyal members, the club has found it hard to stay afloat with many Hammers fans now heading to Stratford on match days.
Lee Fitzpatrick, Lindhill’s managing director, said: “We are delighted this vision to ensure the future of a community bastion has been shared by the local authority, preserving what is unfortunately a dying breed of community strongholds for people to meet, socialise and flourish in.
“It has been a rewarding experience to support the trust members on this project, all of whom are extremely passionate about this club and what it represents.”
The plans would see 42 private and affordable homes built with nine one-bedroom, 25 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom flats.
A public consultation carried out last July showed there was support for a new club, but concern about East Ham Working Men’s Club closing during construction.
The trust and developer said they believe the development will create a premises for the club which it can afford for the future and that will cater for a wider variety of social and community events.
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