The Swiss investor planning to buy Fawley Court, a Polish centre in a prestigious setting in England's Oxfordshire, might be on the verge of pulling out in the face of a backlash against the sale by the Roman Catholic religious group the Marian Fathers, according to a communique from the "Save Fawley Court" group on Saturday.
A Polish property developer told Radio ORLA that at a dinner in February, he was aware the identity of the buyer was not Swiss.
"Back then, I think they offered maybe £7 million for the estate knowing another £18 million needs to be spent on it. They were British. It is possible they have since then sold the interest onto someone else ahead of completion in November of the sale from the Marian fathers, but I know for a fact the buyer is not a local Swiss investor in the Henley area," he said.
The Polish Congregation of Marian Fathers were not immediately available for comment.
The Save Fawley Court group also called on Poles to unite and attend a meeting later today at the Polish Social centre POSK in Hammersmith, west London.
"The sale of Fawley Court
is hanging on a thin thread. The Swiss buyer has got cold feet, as is
considering to withdraw from the purchase due to the opposition that
the Polish community has imposed on the uncalled for sale. This is good
news, in the cause "to save our Home".
Many of us grew up this special
place that our parents helped build and repair with their hard-earned
cash. What the Marian Fathers are doing is wrong and is driven by
money and not morals.
The meeting this Saturday is being held to
present what is the current state of play and what the possible
outcomes might be but most importantly show that despite what the
Marian Fathers think, there is still a strong contingency of Poles who
will fight for what is right and not let their greed take away our past
memories, our present needs and our future aspirations. Fawley Court
is one of the two lasting symbols of our Polish heritage in the UK and
if we don't stop this mentality now then the next place they will want
to sell is POSK. We will have nothing left to show our children where
we grew up and give them the same chances to develop as we had.
Please come to the meeting and also pass on to Friends, family and
all who want to save Fawley Court. If you are not able to come, have a
look at the website below and read about the history and the background
information to our cause.
Polish:
Przyjdz na spotkanie w sprawie ocalenia Fawley Court!
Sobota 5 Wrzesnia o 17.00 w Posku
Sala Malinowa wPOSKu, King Street, Hammersmith, W4
"SAVE FAWLEY COURT" Zebranie
Konsultacja i Informacja
English:
Please come for the meeting to discuss ideas in which to save Fawley Court
Saturday 5th September @ 5pm
POSK - Sala Malinowa, King Street, Hammersmith, W4
"SAVE FAWLEY COURT" Meeting - Consultation & Information
More information: www.fawleycourt.info
