Row breaks out between social club members and residents over use of Brixton community hall

By Charlie Parry

A tug of war has broken out between a social club’s members and the residents of flats around it over who runs the building.

Members of the Bar and Social Club (B&SC) at the St Matthews Tenant’s Hall in Brixton claim they are being wrongfully pushed out.

But Lambeth council insists it owns the property, and wishes to make the entire hall open to the public.

That means ending the members-only rule in the bar – which would force out the B&SC.

The hall, in St Matthews Road, was built in 1987 as a community centre for residents of the St Matthews estate to meet and socialise.

The tenants and residents association, then known as the St Matthews Estate Tenants Association (SMETA), received a loan of £197,370 from Lambeth council in 1985 to build the property.

It is made up of a large hall which is open to the public for events, activities and classes, as well as a private, members-only bar. But many of those members have now moved off the estate.

Lambeth council issued the B&SC a notice to vacate the property in October 2018, but when the B&SC brought in a lawyer to question the council’s ability to issue the notice, it was withdrawn.

The social club never left, and has since operated in the hall as normal – but tenants on the estate feel excluded.

Mike Neal, a member of the B&SC, believes that documents in his possession show that Lambeth does not own the hall, and so cannot decide its future.

The documents show construction and licensing contracts dating back to the hall’s conception that are addressed to SMETA, not the council.

Mr Neal said: “If the building was paid for with grant money and the TRA did all the work to get it built including signing all contracts, why do Lambeth believe that they own it?

“As far as I know a grant is a gift and can’t be taken back on a whim years later.”

But planning permission documents from 1985 show the property was approved by Lambeth council “for use as a tenants’ hall, estate community worker’s base and mother and toddlers’ group” and makes no mention of the B&SC, and suggests that the hall is for tenants only.

Mr Neal admits that most of the members of the B&SC no longer live on the estate, but instead travel to the hall from elsewhere – which could damage their case for remaining in the centre.

The planning permission documents also show that Lambeth council is the freeholder and ground landlord of the property, meaning it could have ultimate control over it.

But Mr Neal believes he and the B&SC should be able to stay as members as they have paid for the hall’s upkeep for decades.

He is raising money to pay the legal costs for if and when the matter reaches the court, and has so far raised almost £10,000.

SMETRA has said: “It is a very difficult situation that we hope is resolved quickly so the hall can be used to benefit everyone in the community.”

Lambeth council has decided not to comment on the matter.

Pictured top: The St Matthews Tenant’s Hall in Brixton