Club considersextended stay

The group’s future was racked with uncertainty recently when it was told it would have to leave its premises in St Brycedale Avenue after today.

The Club has been in the Fife Centre for the Deaf since 1926 and currently pays an annual rent of only £1 – but it is now the only occupier, and Fife Council wants to sell the building.

The Club had asked about staying on for another six months, and paying more rent, despite the heavily financial burden this would cause.

However, in an email, Fife Council’s client service and social work team presented another couple of alternatives to Club chairman Belinda Young.

The first was a three-month extension to the current arrangement – this would incur no additional costs and the exit date would be June 30.

The other was a six-month extension at full market rent – around £7500 for the entire building. This would entail full repairing and insuring, and all costs and liabilities (including estates and legal fees) in that time would be borne by the Club, with a leaving date of September 30. The group, which has around 30-40 members, was mulling these prospects over last night before making a decision.

It has struggled to find suitable alternative premises and fears the loss of the Club could have a serious effect on members, many of whom had difficulty with mainstream communication. One associate said: “I think they have been treated really shabbily, after having been in the building for 90 years.”