Royal British Legion Club in Ludlow set to be wound up

Rocketing maintenance costs and diminishing membership has been blamed for the decision to shut the doors at Victory House in Mill Street, Ludlow.

Just 52 of the club's remaining 276 members attended a special general meeting at the club on Wednesday night where they were asked to vote on its future. It comes just a year after club officials issued an emotional "use it or lose it" plea when it first emerged its future was under threat.

The club opened in 1946 after people in Ludlow and the surrounding area donated more than £1,600 to buy Victory House.

At its height it had more than 1,000 members – but president Martin Taylor-Smith said there were now fewer than 300.

He said a "clear majority" had voted in favour of closure on September 30.

"The closure was brought about by the cost of maintaining a large building with a declining active membership." He said it would not affect the activities of the Ludlow Royal British

Legion Branch, which is a separate organisation and landlord of the club.

"It is the economics, this is happening to clubs of this type all over the country.

"This is particularly because of the false presumption that to be a member of the club you have to be an ex-serviceperson.

He said the club had recently spent £6,000 on repairs and more work costing tens of thousands needed to be done.

"When you are only charging £7 a year for membership the figures just cannot add up," he said.