Sir Michael Spicer MP also received a similar reply to his own letter.
In his response, Sir Gus dashes hopes of more time for the Club, or a reprieve for the couples and families who had been planning to hold weddings and parties at the venue. Only events planned before the closure date of April 30th 2008 will be allowed to go ahead.
In his letter, Sir Gus wrote, "the Club's financial position is still serious. Importantly, a recent valuation of the Club's assets showed that these were worth far less than the Club's liabilities, so the club is insolvent. I am sure that you will appreciate that the Club cannot continue to trade in these circumstances....CSSC cannot use other members' money to subsidise the local community in Malvern. Local usage over a long time has been insufficient to meet the costs of the club....CSSC will continue to have an active presence in Malvern as the annual grant previously spent on the club will be available to fund sports and leisure opportunities for local CSSC members."
Harriett Baldwin said, "Obviously I am very disappointed with the finality of this response, and the short notice that Malvern has had to react. I have immediately sent Sir Gus further questions - by e-mail this time - because the response to my letter has been rather slow. My questions are all to do with the CSSC's plans for the disposal of the site. Is the CSSC Board obliged to sell or lease to the highest bidder, or can other government organisations or community groups negotiate more favourable terms? After all, I understand that this site was originally donated to the CSSC by the Ministry of Defence, and must surely be carried at a nominal book value on the balance sheet."