Highcliffe Club Sheffield: Neighbours gather 400 signatures to save social club before it is 'lost forever'

Neighbours have rallied behind a Sheffield social club “at risk of being lost forever” in hope it can be saved from “inevitably becoming flats.”

Highcliffe Club has been a local hub for the neighbourhood of Highcliffe Drive, Greystones, since it was first built in the 1930s. Nestled on its own quarter acre of land, its kind are a rarity in residential streets and its longest standing members having been on its books for decades.

However, in March, the club’s members called time. At an extraordinary general meeting, around 60 of its 81 eligible voting members moved it was time to close Highcliffe Club, sell it, and split the proceeds equally between members who have been with it for more than seven years.

However, that leaves the 21 members who voted for Highcliffe to stay, hoping for a dramatic change of fortune.

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Now, those members and neighbours on Highcliffe Drive are fighting to have the club rescued - even if it’s not clear how yet.

Outside the club on April 16, one neighbour, Jane Murphy, said: “We as residents are hoping that we can keep this as a community venue.

“It would be so much better than seeing it inevitably turn into flats down the line.”

A petition to keep the club open has gathered over 400 signatures and the group is considering applying for it to become an ‘asset of community value’, which would open options to make it eligible for ‘the community’ to buy and maintain instead.

Out of the group of 12 that met The Star outside the club on Tuesday, nine were not members, but neighbours or former members on Highcliffe Drive who nevertheless want to see it brought back to life. Several said how vibrant the club used to be as a place where children could play sports in the back and when there were weekly, well-attended disco or game nights.

Louise Cooper, 70, voted against the closure in March and has been a member since 2003. She said: “I feel the club is needed by the community around it. I think people do want to join - they need a place for families and for children’s activities.

“Closing the club means the community loses somewhere to go to nearby - something local, not one you have to go miles for.”

With a private membership rule, Highcliffe's roster only had room for 120 members on its book at any one time. By the time of the vote in March, only around 90 remained, and only 81 had been members for the three years needed to take part in the vote. Reportedly, only members of seven or more years will receive a split of the proceeds if the building is sold, where it will be shared equally.

Several neighbours told The Star they had applied to become members in recent years but were all turned down, including Jane Murphy, who says she was refused despite living on Highcliffe Drive for 30 years.

Another neighbour, Tom Goodhill, said he used to be a member but couldn’t rejoin in recent years. He said: “It would be a tragedy to lose 90 years of vibrant, community history. I used to be a member - I’ve got such fond memories of having my 40th birthday here.”

The group of supporters also included Ecclesall ward councillors Barbara Masters and Shaffaq Mohammed - who both said they were not there in an official capacity, but as “concerned residents.”

However, Councillor Masters, who sits on the council’s Planning Committee, estimates that damages to the club’s roof, renovation work and building a business case will make bringing it back into proper use very expensive.

She said: “All over Sheffield places were people can socialise are closing down... I sit on committees and all the time I’m told there is nowhere for people to meet. We’re running so short of them.

“Somewhere like this can be used for all sorts of purposes seven days a week is such a valuable asset.

“Why are we shutting facilities like this down? Because the potential is here. It was a thriving business once and it can be done again.

“We know there are issues with the site and the building, but it needs the person with the right sort of mindset to put forward a business case for it, to make something that will work for the local community. I think most people want it here and they don’t just want more executive houses.”