Under-threat Kettering snooker club offered nearby Argos building by developer behind apartments plan

A Kettering snooker club which is facing the threat of demolition to make way for apartments has been offered a nearby building.

Cuetopia in Montagu Street is the subject of a controversial planning application from developers Certain Security Limited, who want to knock it down and build a ‘superstructure’ on top of the retail units below, which would be retained.

The plan – originally for 30 apartments but which has now been reduced in size to 24 – was described as ‘bananas’ and a petition against it attracted more than 1,000 signatures, with many saying losing the snooker club would be a ‘travesty’.

A planning document from Muddy Dog Architects, for Certain Security Limited, has now revealed Cuetopia owners have been offered the former Argos building in Newland Street to move into.

But Cuetopia manager Laura Hudson-Jones thinks making the move could be detrimental.

She said: "We do not think it’s suitable. There’s an electric sub-station in the building.

"There’s also already planning permission for flats to be built on top of it – what’s to say this won’t just happen again if we move?”

Information about the proposed move was made public in a document which Muddy Dog Architects said intended to ‘set out and right misinformation’. The document claimed that the majority of objections were based on the ‘mobilisation of Cuetopia members’ by tenant Paul Martin and that facts had been withheld from members.

But Mr Martin said: "The residents of Kettering are perfectly capable of objecting to a planning application on their own, as demonstrated by other recent planning events.”

The document by Muddy Dog Architects said that a process had been adopted to find an alternative site for Cuetopia, which has 30 tables and thousands of members, and that Mr Martin had viewed the former Argos building.

It added that Mr Martin’s allegation that he ‘is being forcibly evicted’ is ‘nonsense’ and that the tenancy ran out in January but that they have already allowed the club to remain beyond its tenancy. The document added that Cuetopia has been offered ‘18 months rent-free’ if they moved to Newland Street.

It said: "The Newland Street building is less than a one-minute walking distance from the Montagu Street building, and no-one who currently visits Cuetopia can have any objection to that.

"It is worth noting that not one objector has mentioned this, and we can only assume that they are unaware of it.”

Concerns have previously also been raised about noise and the ‘horrendous’ parking situation in Montagu Street.

One objection to the plan said: “Trading the snooker club for flats would just be another blow to the town centre which is already on death’s door.”

Town snooker star Kyren Wilson also said it would be a ‘shame’ for it to happen.