PENARTH’S Royal Air Forces Association branch is set to be taken over by new management with a relaunched bar and social club.

During a Special General Meeting on Thursday, January 23, members voted unanimously for the dissolution of the club committee and agreed to look for someone new to manage the Windsor Road premises.

The premises, which are owned by RAFA and rented out, will remain Penarth’s RAFA headquarters and existing membership will be unaffected.

However, people that are non-RAFA affiliated will be able to join as members and there will be a change of name to the premises.

Tony Thomas, treasurer of Penarth RAFA club, said that the vote was well attended and they now plan on “carrying on as usual” and looking for someone to manage the bar and social club.

“It still has to be a members club and people that are members of the RAFA would have free right of entry, but anyone that is not part of RAFA will have to join the new club,” he said.

“The existing membership will stay the same and the committee will continue until the changeover.”

He added that the club would still remain the headquarters for the Penarth RAFA branch.

“It will still be a RAFA club, but there will have to be a new name on the door,” he said.

“We are in the process of finding someone to run the business and there are several people interested.”

Tich Taylor, RAFA branch chairman, described the meeting as “very constructive” and said that members were given time to ask questions about the resolution that the RAFA Penarth branch club be dissolved. He said that dissolution would take place on the day the running of the club business transfers to the new management

He added: “Members will see little change over the next few months. The committee is now tasked with finding a suitable tenant to run the business after selection interviews have taken place. The Branch and Club committees will then work on a new contract for the tenant.”

A Penarth RAFA spokesman added: “Until the new management commence running the bar and social facilities, these will continue to be available to the membership, and their guests, and managed by the RAFA Penarth Branch Club Committee.

“The RAFA Penarth Branch Club Annual General Meeting will be held as usual during March 2014 at which the annual accounts will be presented and the officers of the club be elected to complete the outstanding business of the Club.”

RAFA branch chairman Tich Taylor added: “The branch and club committee thank all members for their support in using the facilities and hope they will continue to do so.”