Manchester's West Indian Sports and Social Club (WISCC), the oldest surviving venue of its kind in the UK, is under threat from a proposed housing development of 212 flats in Moss Side. The club, co-founded in 1953 by Nobel Prize-winning economist Sir Arthur Lewis, has served as a vital community hub for the post-Windrush Black community, providing social, educational, and economic support.
Community leaders fear that the development, planned on a site adjacent to the club, could lead to noise complaints from new residents, potentially endangering the club's licence and its financial independence. Tom Nelson, a volunteer leader at WISCC, said: 'We know there's a housing crisis, but these plans are to the detriment of the last remaining, fully functioning, financially independent, democratic Black-led organisation of the Windrush era.'
The proposed site is in Moss Side, one of the most densely populated areas in the UK, with 133 people per hectare—nearly six times the Greater Manchester average. Critics argue that the development would exacerbate overcrowding and repeat mistakes of the past, such as the failed Hulme Crescents housing scheme. Gabrielle Cox, a local campaigner, warned that the city risks 'building discrimination' by pushing high-density development on a historic Black community.
Manchester City Council defends the plans, stating that the properties are 'attractive' and that new housing is 'urgent' due to overcrowding. The council also says it is committed to protecting WISCC. However, the club's expansion and modernisation plans could be hindered by the development. The government has acknowledged the risk to licensed premises and promised greater protection against noise complaints from new neighbours.
The debate comes as other historic Black community spaces across the UK, such as Bridge Park in London and the Marcus Garvey Centre in Nottingham, fight for survival. Ironically, the proposed development would be on the site of a former Black venue, The Reno, and would be named after it.
