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Stratford-on-Avon District Council will decide on Monday 7 December whether to sell two of its buildings in Stratford-upon-Avon, Venture House and the Avenue Club. The proposal appeared for the first time on the council’s latest forward plan, published on Friday 6 November, which lists the decisions its Cabinet expects to take over the winter.
The notice says only that the Cabinet will “consider selling” the two properties. It doesn’t give a price, a buyer or a reason. It’s listed as a non-key decision, under the portfolio for law and governance, with the council’s estates surveyor as the contact.
What it could mean for Stratford’s community fridge
Venture House, on Avenue Farm, is where Stratford Town Trust plans to open a community fridge in January, the Stratford Herald reported this week. The fridge would share surplus food to cut waste, and a drop-in for would-be volunteers is planned for Wednesday 18 November, 4pm to 6pm. We mentioned it in Stratford this week.
The council’s notice doesn’t say whether anyone using the buildings would be affected, and the Town Trust hasn’t said anything about the proposal on its own website. We’ll update this story when the council publishes its report.
What happens next
The Cabinet’s report on the sale should be published with the agenda for the 7 December meeting, usually about a week beforehand. It will set out why the council wants to sell and what it expects to happen to the buildings. Some property details may be kept private as commercially sensitive. Cabinet meetings are held at Elizabeth House on Church Street and are open to the public.
The same plan lists other decisions for 7 December, including how many new homes each village’s neighbourhood plan should allow for under the South Warwickshire Local Plan, and whether to fund the Wilder Communities nature project for another one or two years. The council’s draft budget for 2027/28 follows in January.
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Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
