COMMUNITY groups in Leamington fear they could be left homeless if one of the town’s historic buildings is sold.
Warwickshire College, which owns the old library in Avenue Road, and Warwick District Council, which owns the adjoining former art gallery and museum, are considering selling the Grade II-listed Victorian building to a developer.
But the old library is currently home to Bath Place Community Venture, which moved in after fire destroyed its original premises in 2009, with Leamington’s Community Arts Workshop (CAW) in the gallery next door.
CAW director Fran Godwin, also a trustee of Bath Place, said neither organisation wanted to move - and both had fears for the future.
He said: “This building has huge civic heritage and people love it.
“People need faith that they have a place to go to, both physically and spiritually. Politicians don’t understand.”
Bath Place has 100 to 150 users each day. Tenants include the County Music Service, Springfield MIND, Mediation and Counselling Services, Warwickshire Probation Service and jobseeker assistance agency REMPLOY. The Women’s Institute and political parties hire rooms, as well as health and arts groups.
Mr Godwin, who has been developing a business plan, says the district council needs to be serious about offering alternative premises, as having no tenure made it hard to secure long-term funding.
Bath Place site supervisor Clayton Denwood believes the building’s design and history as a public building makes it ideal for community use and many groups had made it their home.
He praised the support the library’s owner Warwickshire College had given the community venture, but said selling it would be a “massive loss” and there had been a “heartbreaking” lack of support from local government.
A Warwick district council spokeswoman said CAW’s lease ended on March 31, adding the authority had been in discussions with both groups and made them aware of potential new premises.
Warwickshire College asset development executive director Chris Paget said Bath Place, which uses the building for free, had an excellent relationship with the college and had always understood the building was on the market. He added the college, a charity, was looking to sell the building to invest in development projects to benefit its students
Warwick and Leamington MP Chris White, who helped decorate a room at Bath Place before the last election, is due to meet representatives from all groups on February 3. Although he praised Bath Place’s ‘social value’ he said it might be necessary to look at what was practical.
He said: “I will be doing whatever I can to make sure the ethos of Bath Place and the organisations have a future.”