Beloved Manchester club and music venue saved from eviction

A historic club in south Manchester has been saved - after a separate entity owning its building has appointed new directors.

Dating back more than 100 years, The Carlton Club in Whalley Range was set up by members of the local community to purchase its Rowan Lodge premises as a place for locals to socialise, play sports, drink and enjoy gardening together.

In August, the club, which operates as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), was issued with a notice from the building operators, owned by a separate entity, who stated an intention to run their own business from within the premises.

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The initial notice, which could have come into effect in a matter of days, was issued on behalf of the Carlton Social and Bowling Club Building Company. A six-week extension on the notice was granted in September after the club petitioned to ‘save’ the premises, with the backing of members of the local community and famous faces including the likes of Russell T Davies. A fundraising campaign has also raised more than £38,000 to date.

Following a further extension earlier this month, it has today (November 26) been announced that the notice has now been removed after Carlton Club CIC legally appointed two directors to the board of the Building Company - who have then voted to stop the eviction notice and move forward with ‘constructive lease discussions’.

The move was also described by the CIC as a chance to ‘ultimately restore the Club’s historic shareholding in the Building Company’ - hoping to lessen the complicated situation within the two entities.

The CIC has since written to Companies House to inform them of its actions, which it believes