Old Legion club up for auction with £75k price
A HUGE social club in the Valleys is up for sale and could be snapped up for as little as £75,000.
The Old British Legion Club in Cwmbach, Aberdare, is currently being used as a private social club, and is going up for auction in Cardiff this month.
The large site in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which – including the car park – is almost 10,000 sq ft, could be turned into a supermarket, restaurant or homes, subject to the buyer getting planning permission.
Councillor Jeffrey Elliott, Labour councillor for Cwmbach, hopes the building can be reopened as a club for the entire community’s use, and does not want to see it turned into flats.
He said: “We don’t want to lose another community asset so I hope whoever takes it over looks to maintain it.
“I would like to see it maintained as a social club for people in the village.
“It’s a well-known building in Cwmbach and it’s always been known as the legion.
“It’s got a lot of memories for people living here, as well as links to the two world wars, and hopefully those memories can be maintained.
“If they want to change use then they would have to go to planning. But if it is changed into something else, once it’s gone, it’s gone and it simply won’t be the same as it was.”
Cynon Valley AM Vikki Howells said: “Growing up in Cwmbach, the Legion was always at the heart of the community.
“It hosted a variety of important local events and when I worked on summer playschemes while I was in university, it was the perfect venue to engage with children and young people from the area.
“While the building would make a fantastic asset for development, I really hope someone takes this on and retains it for use by the local community”.
The building is currently being used as a private club, and the Royal British Legion is no longer involved with the building.
Paul Fosh, of the Newport-based auction company, said: “The Old British Legion Club is a substantial building and is currently trading as a social club but may offer alternative uses such as the development of a supermarket, restaurant or gymnasium, subject to planning.
“The whole site could also be redeveloped either for commercial or residential use. The property has two floors of accommodation with a spacious car parking area to the front.
“The property will be sold with vacant possession but there may be the option for the purchaser to retain the current tenant for a further period subject to negotiation.”
The auctioneers said there is also a lounge bar and snooker room on the ground floor, with an entertainment hall and stage on the first floor.
The total internal area is 3,234 sq ft with an overall site measuring 9,832 sq ft, almost a quarter of an acre. It is going up for auction with a guide price of £75,000+. It will go on sale on October 19 at the Park Inn Hotel in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff.