The well-known Plymouth social club, Weston Mill Oak Villa, is closing due to financial strain. An Asda supermarket will be built in its place.
A well-known Plymouth social club, Weston Mill Oak Villa Social Club, closed down. The company running it is being shut down. They will build a supermarket where it stood.
The club closed in December. Soon after, the supermarket plans came out. Walker Developments wants to build an Asda with a large car park. The cost is estimated at millions.
The club closed after talks regarding the plans. A message indicated they spent more than they earned.
The club’s records showed losses in both 2022 and 2023. Their income came from bar sales and games.
The club employed ten people and paid them over eighty thousand pounds in total.
There are plans for a new social club with its own parking. They also plan to build a gas station and a new road from the bypass. Three new sports fields are also proposed.
Asda called the plan a “win, win.” The sports association, which leases the land from the city and has over one hundred members, agreed with Asda.
Some residents worried about traffic and the effect on parking. Some said dockyard workers used the current lot and could move onto nearby streets.
The council owns the land and the association leases the clubhouse and lot. Their lease has about nine years left, and they maintain the sports fields.
The club had 390 members. At a January meeting, they voted to close the company and named people to handle its closure.
Asda wants to build a big supermarket where the club is currently located. They would also create a new social club, two football fields, and a rugby field. A new drainage system should fix flooding. The project could take years.
The land is supposed to be used for sports and a shop. There was a plan for an Asda back in 1998.
Asda said it would create jobs, and the other Asda store will remain open.
