The trustees of Community House are heartbroken to announce the closure of the building on the 31st December 2023.

Margaret Mountford, Chair of RCNT, said:

“Despite great efforts by R.C.N.T. and the residents of Redditch to save Community House for the people of Redditch we have reluctantly had to accept defeat and accept that Community House will close on the 31st December 2023. We are sorry that the Council has taken the decision to close Community House and end the valued service its tenants have given to the people of Redditch over many years. We trust that promises given to our lease holders by the Council to assist with relocation will be honoured.”

The Council had offered to sell the property and its surroundings to the Trust for £700,000. The Trust explored as many avenues as possible to see if they could raise the money. Now the Council has issued the notice to quit by the end of December 2023 though, the Trustees can see no viable way of raising the funding needed. They are however disappointed that the Council did not honour the year’s notice required by the lease, despite their reassurances to the contrary.

This is the final chapter in the history of Community House. Originally built in 1908, Community House was used as an Artillery barracks for the 3rd(c) battery, South Midlands Brigade, of the 67th Regiment of Royal Field Artillery. The regiment was reformed after the First World War as the 267 battery, which was transferred in 1939 to the new 119 regiment of the Royal Artillery. Information can also be found on the Drill Hall Project website.

In the 1960s, the building was purchased by the Redditch Development Corporation who initially leased it to the Windsor Social Club. Later, as part of an endeavour to provide social and cultural amenities for the town, the Development Corporation leased the building to the Redditch Common Neighbourhood Trust to be used as a community centre for local charities and organisations. When the Development Corporation was dissolved, the property was handed to Redditch Borough Council for community use.

This amazing, vibrant, vital community asset will, sadly, be lost to the residents of Redditch at the end of 2023.