Heartbroken residents rally to save Lyminster social club

Dozens of outraged residents at the Thornlea Park mobile home site, in Lyminster Road, are drawing battle lines to combat the decision by owners Turners Ltd – which took over the site formerly run by Britannia Parks, in December – to bulldoze the club next month.

A dismayed Ted Brokhurst, 87, who lives on the site and has used the club for more than 20 years, described it as a “lifeline that couldn’t be replaced”.

He said: “The new owners are destroying a centrepiece of our community, with little regard for our feelings.

“For many of us, this club is a lifeline. We have so many activities here – yoga, darts and snooker.

“Some of us simply aren’t mobile enough to get into Littlehampton, to enjoy the same activities. We’ve all been left in a state of shell shock.”

Florence Simons, 86, who has been a member at the club for more than 16 years, said: “We need this club desperately. They might as well take us outside and line us up against the wall and shoot us.”

Residents had already planned to use the club for Olympic, diamond jubilee and various birthday celebrations, as well as hosting a special party to celebrate the social centre’s own silver jubilee, in July.

However, all the plans are now in the balance after residents were told, during a meeting, at the end of last month, that the club would be demolished, and replaced by four new, mobile home plots.

Helen Harris, 59, said: “This club is like a family member to us. It’s been there through thick and thin. We’ve had funeral receptions and birthday parties here. It means something to us.

“But this is being completely overlooked. We haven’t been given nearly enough time to try and combat the decision. We feel so helpless.”

The residents have formed an action group to campaign against the decision and have written to Bognor Regis and Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb appealing for help. They are also seeking legal advice.

The Gazette understands that the plot, on which the club stands, is not owned by any of the residents at the park, in their deeds, and that because of this, the owners are perfectly entitled to develop the land.

Despite the Gazette attempting, on numerous occasions, to contact Turners Ltd, no one returned our calls seeking a response.