Nursery conversion scheme for historic ex-working men's club
A historic former working men's club in Walsall is poised to be sold and turned into a day nursery, it was revealed today.
Chuckery Working Men's Club, once popular with staff from the Chamberlin & Hill foundry and the Crabtree factory, was put up for sale almost two years ago after going into liquidation.
It has emerged an offer has now been put into the hands of solicitors by an undisclosed interested party.
Steve Johnson, from property agent Fraser Wood Chartered Surveyors, said the sale was dependent on whether planning chiefs approved proposals to convert the building into a nursery.
He estimated it could take around three months before details are finalised.
The building and grounds in Lincoln Road were put on the market with an asking price of £215,000.
The sum which has been offered for the premises has not yet been disclosed.
Mr Johnson said: "The offer has been put into solicitor's hands. It's subject to a change of use application.
"A planning application should be going in shortly to change the use from club to a children's nursery.
"I believe they want to refurbish what is already there." He said the interested party had some experience of running other nurseries.
Chuckery Working Men's Club ceased trading after 85 years and was put into liquidation by its 220 members after hitting problems because of dwindling support.
Dozens of parties have shown an interest in buying the building, including those who wanted to reopen it as a club and others who wanted to transform it for housing.
Mr Johnson added: "There were issues with the land registry which has delayed things. As soon as that was sorted, within a month or so we got offers in. It's been a shame that it has taken so long. It will be good to bring an empty building back into use."