Following a spectacular sprint to raise funds, a community-led bid to buy the Co-op Funeralcare site in central Chorlton is being taken seriously.
The crowd funding campaign launched by Chorlton Community Land Trust (CLT) broke through its £250,000 target in less than 2 weeks. Armed with this support the CLT and its developer partner was able to meet the Co-op's 8 November deadline to table an offer to buy the site of the former picture house - where the Bee Gees first performed.
They received our proposal with a great deal of interest and were amazed by the success of the campaign and the level of public interest.
- Chorlton CLT
The 11th hour bid may save the site from demolition as the Co-op weighs up two competing bids:
Stayin' Alive bid: keep the picture house as a tribute to the Bee Gees; save the space for community use for events, pop-up stalls and a vibrant market; build a new surgery for Chorlton Family Practice; create space for co-working; pedestrianise Nicolas Road.
Developer bid: knock it all down and build expensive flats.
Co-op members back bid
At our meeting on 23 November, the members of Chorlton and District Co-ops voted again, unanimously to back the community bid.
We urge the Co-op board to accept the community bid - a realistic commercial offer - and reject the alternative inappropriate property speculation.