ONE of Wanstead's iconic' buildings has been put on the market by Redbridge Council as they seek to raise money from their land-sales programme.

The Corner House at 2 Grove Park was used as a pensioners' day centre and lunch club by Redbridge Age Concern but they moved out in December 2005 pending its refurbishment.

Now the council has put the leasehold for two floors of the property on the market with the proviso that the purchaser remodel the ground floor accommodation'.

Snaresbrook ward councillor, Sue Nolan, said that the sale would not threaten the future of the lunch club.

She added: "The commitment is to retain the lower ground floor for Age Concern and community use for the lunch club. I have been given assurance that it will remain in the community. This is an iconic building and it means a great deal to the ward."

For more than 40 years the building provided a home for the lunch club after the 1964 merger of Redbridge Age Concern with the Wanstead and Woodford old people's welfare association.

In 2005 the club moved to the old fire station in Wanstead Place pending a refurbishment that would see it made compliant with the new Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

The building was taken over in September last year by a group of squatters who lived there for six months, but has stood empty since they were evicted in February.

Redbridge Age Concern director, Andy Petty, said: "The sole reason for us moving out was so the premises could be updated and made DDA compliant, so our hope has always been that we would be able to relocate back there. It gives us more space and more opportunity to do a few more things but it's entirely out of our hands."