Shock and tears as Highburton Co-op officially wound up

WHAT is claimed to be the world’s oldest Co-operative society has been officially wound up.

Members of the 153-year-old Highburton Co-operative Society were summoned to a vote on the future of the historic shop last Tuesday.

It has been lying empty ever since a lack of trade forced it to close in February last year, but a campaign to re-open it had been growing in recent months.

A small group of members said they had appealed for more time to save it, but the move was dismissed at Tuesday’s meeting and the vote to disband the society was passed by 12 votes to three, with one abstention.

The premises are now set to be sold to the highest bidder.

There was sadness and anger at the decision.

Lifelong member Jenny Sykes said she was angry at the way the society had handled the decision and claimed it had been “steam rollered” through.

She said: “I was quite shocked about how aggressive the rest of the committee were. They wouldn’t give us a look in. It was as if they had decided and that was it – there was no discussion.”

Members are now in line for a pay out of any profits made on the sale of the premises on the corner of Burton Acres Lane and Moor Lane.

It has not been decided if the pay out will be split equally or weighted by share ownership, but it is thought some members could receive several thousand pounds.

But Mrs Sykes, whose parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were all members, said she was not bothered and would rather see it pulled down and a memorial erected.

She added: “My mum and dad paid their mortgage off with the dividend from the society and my great-grandparents lived in the shop in 1891.

“That is why I was so upset, it just seems so sad.”

Mrs Sykes said she was now worried the liquidators would destroy or sell off all of the society’s historic documents and relics.

Chairman of Highburton Community Association and leader of the plan to resurrect the Co-op, Mike Greetham, said the decision was a “sad day for the village”.

Mr Greetham, who was one of three members to vote against the plan, said the community association was now looking at the possibilty of renting the main floor of the building to use as a shop.

He added: “There were two people in tears, long-term members whose families have been involved with the society for generations.

“I heard one story of someone who said their mother bought all her furniture there.”

Antony Denham from insolvency practitioners DL Partnership, said it had not been possible to delay the decision any further.

He said: “There are a number of costs and expenses that were coming up and the society hasn’t got any cash.

“Its only asset is the building.

“It was all done in accordance with the rules of the society. There had to be 12 members and the vote had to be done by a show of hands.”

Mr Denham said the sale of the shop was now underway and he was proceeding with the highest offer. He also confirmed that anyone who wanted to reclaim memorabilia could do so by contacting DL Partnership’s Huddersfield office on New North Road.