A Suffolk art club has found alternative venues for its activities as it will not be continuing as the sole leaseholder for its current home when its lease ends in March.
Woodbridge Art Club is leaving its Tide Mill Way base on March 31 and different sites have been found for its sections, with the painters and lacemakers using the 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts' Tide Mill Way HQ on Thursdays and Fridays.
Meanwhile, the club's photographers are using the bowls club venue in Lime Kiln Quay Road, while the potters have relocated to Felixstowe.
READ MORE: Suffolk art club 'stunned' by council's lease decision
In August, the EADT revealed how the town council had not offered the club a new lease for the Tide Mill Way building amid plans to make the property available for wider community use after repairs had been carried out to the leaking roof.
However, the club is hopeful that it will be able to hire its former home, albeit sharing with other users.
The club's chair Jean Maxwell said: "At the moment the council have given us no indication of the timescale for the roof renovation and it may be that the building is empty for a while.
READ MORE: Suffolk art club 'stunned' by council's lease decision
"We have, however, been told that once the repair to the roof and other work has been completed we will be able to hire with more limited use and sharing with other users.
"It will be good to return to being a presence in the Whisstocks area but there is obviously regret that we lose sole use as a visible artistic presence in the area."
Woodbridge Mayor Eamonn O'Nolan said "lengthy discussions" had taken place with the club, which was 'fully aware' that it would not be returning as the primary leaseholder and that the aim moving forward was to lease the venue to charities and community organisations.
READ MORE: Woodbridge news
The club, on the other hand, was a 'limited company,' Mr O'Nolan added.
Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey is calling for the club, which has been running for more than 50 years, to stay in its Tide Mill Way premises until a timescale is given for the roof repair work to be completed.
On social media site Facebook, she said: "Responses from the Mayor have not been encouraging, though there is the potential for the club to share the site in the future but no timeline has been given for the re-opening of the building."
However, Mr O'Nolan said he did not know how long the repairs would take and therefore could not put a date on when he expected the work to be completed.
He added the situation with the art club lease was a matter for the town council and tenant and said he was "surprised" Dr Coffey had used social media to start the discussion.
"We have the situation under control. The town council takes the maintenance of our property very seriously.
"We need to ensure the people of Woodbridge have safe buildings to do their activities in and we take the safety of our buildings very seriously and that is our number one priority in this case," Mr O'Nolan said.
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