The management committee of a sports club has thanked the community for “emphatically rejecting” council takeover plans.

People were last week invited to vote on the future of Ongar Social and Sports Club, in Love Lane.

Ongar Town Council is looking to replace the current management team in February next year when the current lease expires and has vowed to improve facilities.

But the proposal was rejected by 252 of the 416 who took part in the ballot.

The club’s current management committee said the community had made its views clear, despite the council saying it was “heartened” by the result.

In a statement, the club said: "The club management committee would like to thank all the residents who supported the parish poll, by turning out to vote on a windy winter's night and emphatically rejecting the council's proposals to take over the club."

“The poll result has endorsed the public opinion expressed by the earlier petition and it is now time for the council to admit this fact and change course.

“The club is ready to discuss a constructive way forward based on a new lease, with more clearly stated responsibilities and procedures for both tenant and landlord.”

A previous petition against the council’s plans attracted 630 signatures.

Those opposing the council takeover say it does not have a viable business plan for the facilities and fear it may be closed.

But the council insists new funds are available for re-development and have appointed of ex-Olympian Angus McKenzie to take over the management of the club.

Ongar resident Mr McKenzie was part of the GB bobsleigh team at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, and was more recently involved with the co-ordination of athletics events at the 2012 London games.

Last week, council chair Diana Roberts said: “We acknowledge that the narrow majority were not in favour of our plans but the council remains concerned with a number of issues surrounding the current management of the club.”

When asked for clarification, town clerk Aimi Middlehurst said the council was “not prepared to be more specific about issues at the present time”.

The club’s current committee said it has been told it would not be able to meet with councillors ahead of the council’s finance committee on January 15, where the poll results are due to be discussed.