A prestigious crusing membership which has navigated the identical lake for greater than 50 years claims it’s being pressured out amid a bitter authorized battle with a rich landlord.
Weir Wooden Crusing Membership, which is situated close to the forest which impressed Winnie the Pooh’s ‘Hundred Acre Wooden’, has supplied yachting and windsurfing since 1966.
However it has been hit by quite a lot of prices from their new landlord who claims the historic membership is in breach of its lease.
The membership has been accused of inserting yachts and two memorial benches to members on land not coated by their agreed phrases.
And members had been additionally alleged to have uncared for the right social distancing measures through the Covid-19 pandemic.
However organisers say the brand new landlord has ‘cooked up’ the breaches in an try and drive them out to make manner for his personal rival crusing membership.
The membership says it’s being dragged into court docket over the claims and compelled to pay for expensive authorized recommendation.
Weir Wooden reservoir in Forest Row, East Sussex, the place a crusing membership based mostly there faces a authorized battle with their landlord
The membership has supplied yachting and windsurfing on the identical stretch of water since 1966
Weir Wooden Crusing Membership (pictured) has launched a fundraiser to try to elevate cash to cowl authorized pricesÂ
Weir Wooden Crusing Membership (WWSC), close to East Grinstead in East Sussex, agreed a brand new 50-year lease with the earlier landlord in 2015.
However new landlord Weald Water Enterprises (WWE), run by businessman Alan Catterall, purchased out the previous one in 2021.
Mr Catterall launched his personal water sports activities membership, Weir Wooden Leisure and Sports activities Ltd – in 2022, providing paddle-boarding, rowing and fishing – whereas its web site says: ‘Crusing – Coming Quickly.’
Weir Wooden Crusing Membership believes the owner desires to drive them out and seize their clubhouse for his personal enterprise.
A membership spokesperson mentioned: ‘Two years in the past the reservoir was taken over by a brand new landlord.Â
‘The owner has made it very clear that Weir Wooden Crusing Membership shouldn’t be a part of the event plans for the location, regardless of us having over 45 years left on our lease.
The crusing membership agreed a brand new 50-year lease with the earlier landlord in 2015
Membership members imagine the brand new landlord desires to drive them out and seize their clubhouse for his personal enterprise
Individuals are pictured crusing on picturesque Weir Wooden reservoir in Forest Row, East Sussex
‘Over the past 18 months we’ve been subjected to an intimidatingly massive variety of authorized and quasi-legal assaults from the owner utilizing a really skilled – and costly – agency of attorneys which we’ve had to make use of our restricted assets to fend off.
‘We have now now reached the stage the place we face circumstances within the county court docket, together with for tiny alleged breaches of our lease phrases which, if we had been to lose, would imply that the membership would forfeit its lease, stop to exist and the trustees and committee might face monetary jeopardy for searching for to defend its existence.’
A membership supply mentioned: ‘Mr Catterall is making an entire load of claims towards us.
‘This membership has been operating for six a long time offering boating, services and coaching to all – particularly kids who like it. I believe it is surprising what’s being finished.
The membership has launched a crowdfunding marketing campaign to assist fund challenges towards the authorized claims made by the owner.
The membership says over the past 18 months it has been subjected to a lot of ‘authorized assaults’ from the owner
The membership has been accused of inserting yachts and two memorial benches to members on land not coated by their lease
Members have additionally been accused of breaching Covid social distancing lawsÂ
A spokesman mentioned: ‘We can’t enable a person with the monetary assets to convey down the curtain on a crusing membership with 50 years of crusing historical past and hundreds of individuals’s quiet enjoyment of the ability.
Members say the claims made by the owner are ‘unfounded’ and threaten ‘to evict us from our longstanding and rightful use of the location’.
They are saying that if the owner, WWE, is profitable then it could convey an finish to half a century of of water sports activities on one of many largest stunning inland waterways south of London.
The membership was based in 1966 as a winter-only membership with a clubhouse constructed on the financial institution of the waterway three years later, earlier than turning into an all-year membership in 1981.
Run by a staff of volunteers, it’s a registered Royal Yachting Affiliation Coaching Centre and runs crusing programs from rookies to superior and for each kids and adults.
The membership says that if the owner, WWE, is profitable then it could convey an finish to half a century of water sports activities on the website
The membership was based in 1966 as a winter-only membership, had a clubhouse constructed on the financial institution of the waterway in 1969 and have become an all-year membership in 1981
Weald Water Enterprises Ltd is a UK-registered firm whose sole asset is the leasehold curiosity within the unique leisure rights on Weir Wooden Reservoir.
Weir Wooden Crusing Membership pays an annual hire of round £35,000, whereas the corporate additionally lets the fishing rights which incorporates the Fishing Lodge and rights to further crusing, canoeing and different rights, producing greater than £25,000.
Mr Catterall, director of Weald Water Enterprises, mentioned the crusing membership was in breach of its lease and because of this the lease might now be forfeited.
He mentioned: ‘I need to rationalise the location and develop it by constructing a brand new clubhouse and the crusing membership is in settlement with that.
‘Nonetheless, they’ve already admitted a breach of trespass by storing their boats on land not agreed beneath their lease.
‘That matter has been resolved however it’s the different two breaches I’m involved with which I will not go into.’
He mentioned his formation of a brand new firm was not an try and arrange his personal membership and didn’t battle with the crusing actions of the current membership.
