OWNER of Gemini Dance Studio Samantha Williams is calling on the council to ‘un-resolve’ their action to sell Community House.
Redditch Borough Council resolved to sell the building on Easemore Road to make way for development at an Executive meeting on July 12.
The dance studio has been based at Community House for over 30 years, and Samatha said the classes were vital for children in the borough.
“We have a purpose-built studio here, and children and parents travel from all over to attend the classes.
“There is nothing wrong with the building, the council paid for a new roof to be fitted four years ago and my partner Neil redecorated both of our studio spaces during lockdown.
“It’s just ridiculous – there is no way the council will be able to find us a replacement building as big as the space we have now.”
The campaigners claim Redditch Borough Council leader Coun Matt Dormer visited the studios on Tuesday (August 26) and said he was surprised at how good of a condition the building was in.
Samantha and her partner Neil invited Deputy Leader of the council Coun Nyear Nazir to view the building on Saturday (July 30) but she did not attend.
We approached Coun Nazir but she declined to comment and said Coun Dormer was also unavailable.
A council spokesperson said: “The building has been assessed currently as having an EPC rating of E and much additional work has also been identified in a recent external stock condition survey.
“Legally the council must improve this to C/B to enable the building to continue with its current use in coming years and the cost of doing this is prohibitive.
“All of the council’s tenants knew and understood the insecurity of their tenancies from the outset.
“They knew the rents they were paying reflected this and for this reason they could be terminated at any time.
“This process has been ongoing for nearly 12 months and the council is confident that suitable alternatives can be found.
“The commercial dance group occupies space that is vastly larger than the rent they have been charged and again they knew this from the outset.
“The position is not sustainable.”
