A LAST-DITCH attempt to reopen the Royal British Legion Club in Newquay has failed.

Rt Hon Lord Justice Lewison from the Civil Court of Appeal has refused an application to allow an appeal against the refusal of the High Court to grant permission to apply for judicial review to enquire about the legality of the extraordinary general meeting to shut the premises in Trevena Terrace.

It follows Justice Griffiths at the Cardiff High Court ruling an application to apply for a judicial review brought by former committee members Alan Goudge, Paula Marcelis and Jill Bernard is refused as it is “totally without merit.”

The claimants took the Financial Conducts Authority, the Royal British Legion (Newquay) Club Ltd and Cornwall Council, which owns the land the club occupies, to court in order to give them the powers to form a new committee and reopen the club.

They argued the original meeting called by the committee to close the club did not have sufficient members present in attendance and that members were “misled” about conditions of the closure.

The RBL club, which has been operating since 1948, controversially closed in September 2023 after the committee members, who had resigned a month earlier, were unable to pay debts which are understood to be in the region of £87,000.

Mr Goudge stated he received the ruling on Tuesday, June 9, but the decision was made in October 2025, which he had “no knowledge of.”

The reasons for the ruling stated: “The wide-ranging allegations of fraud, corruption, perjury and conspiracy made in the grounds of appeal are not appropriate in proceedings for judicial review.

“A court exercising the jurisdiction to grant judicial review is not a fact-finding tribunal. Its function is to decide, and to decide only, whether an impugned decision is legally flawed.

“The impugned decision was a decision by the Financial Conduct Authority not to exercise the power under Section 106 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Act 2014 to call a special meeting.

“The decision letter correctly pointed out that three limbs must each be satisfied before the Financial Conduct Authority’s discretion to call a meeting can be exercised. If any one of the three limbs is not satisfied, the Financial Conduct Authority has no discretion to exercise.

“Mr Goudge alleges the meeting was a sham and that some members were prevented from attending it. But even if those factual allegations are correct, they do not impugn a decision of the Financial Conduct Authority taken before the meeting took place.

“The grounds of appeal and the skeleton argument also allege bias and incompetence on the part of the judge. I can see no substance in these allegations. I can see no real prospect of success in an appeal. I therefore refuse permission to appeal; and also refuse the requested extension of time.”

The Financial Conduct Authority officially cancelled the club’s registration on April 13, 2026, under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, which was due to a “wilful failure” to submit annual financial returns for 2023 and 2024.