A bitter dispute over the future of a sports and social club looks to have ended today as Ongar Town Council tookover the site.

Officers and new manager Angus McKenzie attended the Ongar Social and Sports Club in Love Lane this morning and begun negotiating terms with current staff.

A last ditch legal challenge by the club’s voluntary management committee has been dropped after it was announced three weeks ago, leaving the council free to take over the running of the club.

Ongar town clerk Aimi Middlehurst confirmed the council was proceeding with the takeover plans.

She said: “We are talking with the staff at the moment.

“Some of them might not want to stay on, some of them we will obviously keep.

“It is very, very early days.”

A possible 28-day extension of the voluntary committee’s lease had been under discussion on the advice of lawyers.

The club will now be rebranded as the Ongar Jubilee Park, with refurbishment planned.

A poll carried out in December showed people in Ongar were against the council takeover, with 252 people voting against and only 163 voting for them.