Long Melford Royal British Legion club and car park to be closed off to public, after national head office reposesses premises

The impending loss of long-standing community facilities in Long Melford has been met with shock and anger, as local officials insisited the decision was taken out of their hands.

Public use of the Long Melford Royal British Legion (RBL) Club and its adjoining car park in Cordell Road will cease on Monday, when the national RBL head office formally secures the site.

The building has been without a tenant since last year, after the Long Melford RBL branch had its club licence revoked, over a dispute about alleged “discrepancies and irregularities” relating to the running of the club.

With no tenancy agreement reached since then, the national RBL’s Estates and Property Department has now indicated it will now end all access to the land, to prepare it for sale.

This includes shutting the car park to the public, following advice from insurers about “public liability and the risk of travellers occupying it”.

In response to the angry reaction within Long Melford, the local RBL branch has moved to clarify that, since its licence was revoked, it has had no control over the club’s future.

Ken Rowbottom, county chairman of the Suffolk RBL, said: “It must be stressed that Royal British Legion clubs are nothing to do with a Royal British Legion branch, in this case that of Long Melford branch.

“A local branch of the Royal British Legion has no say over the structure or running of a club.

“Due to alleged discrepancies, irregularities and concerns over the running of the RBL club in Long Melford, its licence to operate was removed, the club committee was dissolved and the company was removed from the premises.

“This decision of closure, that includes the adjoining car park of the former RBL club, has not been made by the Long Melford branch.

“The branch did not have any say in this matter, and it is totally unfair that they should be vilified for a decision made that was outside their control.

“The Long Melford branch committee and members will continue to support the beneficiaries and the wider local community as a whole and ask that the local community supports the branch in their efforts to do so.”

Long Melford Parish Council confirmed that it will seek to engage with the national RBL over the anticipated sale of the site, after expressing its disappointment at the closure.

In a statement, the parish council revealed it had, on several occasions, suggested taking the car park on a short-term lease, but this proposal was rebuffed each time.

“Since early March, the council had been trying to arrange a meeting with the RBL,” the statement reads. “It had stressed the importance of the car park and the building to the Long Melford community.

“In particular, it had underlined the importance of the car park for staff and patients of the GP surgery and for parents dropping off and picking up children at the primary school.

“It took over three months for the RBL to agree to meet the parish council and only two working days after the meeting to announce the closure, despite the council’s strong representations.

“Clearly, the RBL has no concern for the residents of Long Melford, some of whom served in the forces.”

Parish and district councillor John Nunn added: “I am very disappointed that the National British Legion have not listened to our concerns regarding the building and car park and how important they are to the local community.

“Instead, they seem intent on selling the site with no concern for the people of Long Melford – appalling actions from a national charitable organisation.”