Holland Club Closed

The tender process has come to an end and the Holland Club will close the bar on 21 December 2012. Commercial Services will open a new, unnamed outlet in the space at the end of September 2013.

There has been an ongoing campaign to save the Holland Club amongst staff and students. The Facebook page of the campaign, which has been regularly updated, has so far garnered 946 likes. An online petition to save the Holland Club received 661 signatures, with multiple people leaving reasons for why they are signing the petition. On the College’s page inviting feedback on the feasibility study performed on the space, called Level 0, there were 76 comments asking for the Holland Club to be left as it is. Most point to the unique atmosphere, their belief that there are already enough catering outlets, and that it is already a place for postgraduates and members of staff to meet. Many also commented on their dismay at the College and that they believed other catering facilities could be improved instead. It was noted by one commenter that the staff briefing email discusses the feasibility study and asks for comments to be sent to an email address but does not suggest commenting on the post on the College’s site.

Sue Sharp, Chair of Imperial Unite and Treasurer of the Holland Club Committee, said that staff were “overwhelming in support of the club as it was”. She described the bar as “comfortable as it is” while admitting that the function room “does need improvement”. Sharp told Felix that College had been provided with “ample evidence of the Holland Club’s support”.

The reason for the new outlet was “to serve the needs of the College community”. A College spokesman stated that the “space should be fully redesigned to maximise its potential and ensure the best possible service to customers”, which was given as the reason that the Holland Club could not serve food itself. Sharp commented: “If the college is genuine in its intention, why not build and improve on what is already there and loved rather than tearing it down and starting again”. Sharp went on to state that “the Holland Club was willing to improve either alone or in conjunction with catering [College catering: i.e. Commercial Services]”.

The new space will, according to a College spokesman, be “offering dedicated pub, catering, social, and activity spaces for postgraduate students and members of staff”. In regards to catering, the spokesman replied that “some of the catering facility will be used to provide evening meals for the College community including undergraduate students”and that this will be done “to the extent possible without compromising the facility’s primary purpose”.

The plans that were originally drawn up for Level 0 “appeared to duplicate current facilities already available throughout the College and left room only for a small social bar” according to Sharpe. However the plans then seem to have been altered.

College set up a Design Briefing Advisory Board, which included representatives from the Union, the Holland Club, Commercial Services, and the Senior Dean. Their work was finished in July. The new design for the space had “input from the [Holland Club] board” according to a College spokesman. Sharpe corroborated that such a consultation had taken place and that they had progressed from the original plans, but the Holland Club Committee now “believed that many of the recommendations had been ignored”. She said that the “latest news on current plans would appear to indicate that the College intends to revert to the original [plans]”.

Maryam Habibzay, GSA President, was asked for comment. However the GSA were not aware of the plans and did not know what was going on with the Holland Club. Habibzay said that “ideally… I would like to wait until everyone knows and discuss this with postgraduate students”, but said that the Holland Club was “popular for its cheaper drinkprices”. Habibzay expressed hope that the new outlet will have similar prices and that it “doesn’t sound too bad from a PG (postgraduate) point of view. But many will be sad that it will close as the Holland Club had become a bit of an Imperial tradition”.

The future of the Holland Club, and the space remaining as it was, has been in doubt for some time, ever since Felix reported about the feasibility studies occurring. The Union and the Holland Club both bid during the tender process, but did not win. Paul Beaumont, Union President, said: “We are obviously disappointed that we didn’t win the tender process as it would have been a good opportunity for a student led postgraduate bar. We’re working with Commercial Services to make sure it is as student friendly as possible.”

Kevin Young, the Bar Manager, will be made redundant on 31 January 2013. The Holland Club itself will still exist in name, however it will have no premises. College have not offered any replacement. It was claimed that the trade union Unite asked the College to provide an alternative venue for the Holland Club. However, they were informed that staff would have access to the new outlet, and so they will not offer anything. When asked if the Holland Club had been given any alternative premises, a College spokesman replied: “The Holland Club, as with any staff or student association, is free to book space around College for its activities. However, to ensure everyone has fair access to those facilities, no permanent or exclusive access can be granted to the Club.”

The Holland Club, named after Sir Thomas Holland, a former Rector of Imperial, was formed in 1949 as a social club for non-academic members of staff. Now, the bar is used by postgraduates and staff (both academic and non academic) as a social place. The bar has been relocated before. Once the full plans for the new space are known, Felix will report on them.

Editorial here.