Lidl wants to bulldoze Halesowen Members Club to extend car park
Halesowen Members Club is facing demolition after supermarket chain Lidl revealed it wants to send in the bulldozers so it can extend the car park of its store next door.
The club's bosses have been left stunned after an application to knock down the building on Hagley Road was submitted to Dudley Council. Staff said they knew nothing about the plans.
The venue, which was previously known as the Halesowen Labour Club, is next to a Lidl store and the company is keen to create more parking spaces there.
But the news has come out of the blue to workers at the club as well as the local community.
The club's manager declined to comment but said he had been taken by surprise by the plans.
Ward councillor Donella Russell said she was disgusted at the revelation. She said the venue was still used by dozens of people in the area.
She said: "I'm not happy at all. I go into that Lidl and half the time it is empty anyway, you are always guaranteed a parking space there.
"I don't know why they want to knock down the Members Club, it is well used and does stuff in the day as well as at night. It's always busy, there's always something on. As far as I'm concerned it's pretty successful. I know someone who is having a party there next year, that shows how well it is doing."
Councillor Russell said she was astonished that management had not been informed before the application to demolish the building was made public.
She said: "It's their livelihood. They should know, we should know."
Halesowen councillor Alan Taylor said: "I don't like things being done behind people's backs. I'm always an advocate that people should know what is happening."
Lidl has confirmed that its demolition plans concern the members club. Spokeswoman Laura Hamlin said the supermarket does not currently own the building but is in 'close communication with the vendor'.
Westbourne Leisure, which owns the building, could not be contacted for comment.
Councillor Nick Gregory, who also represents Halesowen, said: "Personally, I wouldn't be in favour of it. There have been too many pubs and clubs closing recently. It has been there an awful long time and is still well used."
The Hagley Road store opened on the site of the former Peugeot garage in January 2008.
