The work on our Estates portfolio and wider work on the potential personal liabilities that fall on volunteers who undertake activities for CSSC, has led to the decision to cease the CSSC affiliation with our club facilities and instead seek non-affiliated tenants to take forward the club on a formal lease.  This decision has not been taken lightly and it has been under consideration for some time, with discussions taking place at Board level.

We recognise that CSSC clubs have been part of the CSSC family for many years and have provided local members with great opportunities for sport, recreation and social activities.  Those of you who have been CSSC members for a long time may recall that over the last few decades, many of our clubs have fully closed as the demand and usage of the facilities has dwindled and people’s leisure choices have diversified.  It is testament to the remaining clubs that members continued to engage with the activities and facilities to allow them to remain viable.

However, we must recognise that times continue to change, especially around risk, legislation, and liability.  CSSC also must also evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of our members whilst remaining financially viable and ensuring that volunteers, such as those that operate the clubs, are not exposed to any personal liability. We must also ensure that our overall Estates portfolio (which is a large part of CSSC’s investment portfolio) is safe, compliant, and achieving a good return for that investment as we all want to ensure that CSSC thrives over the next 100 years.

It is with all this in mind that the difficult decision was taken to end the CSSC affiliation with our clubs. I want to reinforce that this decision is not a reflection on the clubs themselves, where the endeavours of volunteers and members over many decades to keep the remaining clubs open actually serves as testament to their dedication.

We believe that our decision to place the Maidstone Club facility on the open market for a new tenant secures the site as a local community facility going forward.  Whilst we know it will no longer be a CSSC members club, we will be seeking bids from companies that align with our values and our expectations around community use. 

I am conscious that, especially in today’s world, people are concerned that when closure of facilities like the Maidstone Club are announced there is an assumption that the land will be sold.  I understand those concerns, and I have them myself when I hear similar things in my local area.  I therefore want to reassure you that we are not seeking to sell the land for development, and we remain committed to retaining the freehold of the site.

I am also aware that many of you want to understand the process to find a new tenant for the facility so I will share the process that we are undertaking:

• We are aiming to go to market by late November and we will be using an independent agent to market the facility. We will inform members once a date for marketing is confirmed and we will share a link to the marketing pack when available.
• It is our aspiration that there will be minimum disruption between the club closure as a CSSC club and the new tenant taking occupation, but until the process is underway, I can’t confirm any more than that as it will be very much dependant on who puts forward a bid.  This includes minimising any potential time the site may be vacant, but we will ensure the site is secured for that period, if necessary.
• The criteria against which prospective new tenants will be evaluated are still being finalised but this will be transparent within the marketing materials. All interested parties will receive the same information. 
• We will not be accepting any bids other than those submitted via our agents nor will we be accepting any enquiries that come directly to CSSC during the tender process.  
• It is important to us, as landlord, that the successful bidder can demonstrate alignment with the values of CSSC as we remain the landlord.  CSSC remains committed to ensuring this facility remains accessible to the local community that it serves. 

The opportunity to lease the site is open to everyone, including anyone currently or previously associated with the club, and the wider market, provided that they are legally constituted to lease a property. I must caveat all the above with the fact that should we not receive any interest or suitably qualified bidders, and by “qualified” I mean being of a suitable legal construct to sign a lease and demonstrate they can meet the financial and legal obligations of the lease; then we will have to revert to our Management Board for direction on the next steps for the site.

I also wanted to cover what this means for you as CSSC members.  We appreciate that many of you will be saddened to lose the facility as a CSSC affiliated facility.  The new tenants will not have, or be able to have, any affiliation with CSSC.  However, a future tenant may wish to consider if they can offer any benefit to CSSC members, but this is not guaranteed nor will this form part of any bid criteria. We will connect and engage with any sports clubs using the site as the process moves forward to support them as and when required.

Once a new tenant has been secured, the existing unincorporated club will be wound up as an entity by the current committee.

FAQ

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us:

Email: maidstoneclub@cssc.co.uk