By Elliott West
Introduction
It is always upsetting to hear when another snooker club has closed its doors for the final time and this was sadly the case for Pockets Snooker Club in Westhoughton, Bolton when the shutters came down in 2012. Part of a complex that once housed the Westhoughton’s Empire Cinema and the snooker club, the vacant plot has remained empty since.
Different Times
Homelife Holdings Limited has now applied for planning permission to turn the site into a supported living complex of flats and bungalows. This will consist of 17 one-bedroom houses and three bungalows for people with disabilities. The location is next to the Wheatsheaf pub on Market Street with Westhoughton’s conservation area.
Plans for this building work were submitted to Bolton Council this week including the artist’s impressions of how the town development site is envisaged. This includes staff areas and communal outdoor recreation space. A design and statement that accompanies the plans states :
“The site is vacant, partially overgrown and fenced with temporary fencing”.
“In its current state it is unsightly and detracts from the streetscape, immediate locality, surrounding buildings and overall, the wider town centre”.
Summary
Although it is wonderful to hear when investment is created to help people with disabilities, it is always sad to hear when a snooker club has literally died due to poor taking and low footfall. This prime location could have housed another snooker club but instead, it was left to go to rack and ruin before a new investor was found nine years after it closed down
With high demand for new property generation, the need for new snooker clubs are pushed to the back of a very long cue and whilst some clubs are faced with similar situations of closure, others have managed to survive. This has been achieved by expanding their range of services, including youth coaching.
