This is the second time the centre’s future has been plunged into uncertainty
A snooker club in a Kent town centre is under threat from being torn down as part of a council’s plan to redevelopment the site. Victoria Snooker Centre in Tunbridge Wells has been there for generations of local people since it opened 30 years ago.
The well-respected and friendly club which holds events with high profile players and has fostered plenty of young talent, is in Camden Road, with large distinctive 19th century stone elephant heads either side of its entrance.
It’s something of an institution in the town, and for those stepping in for the first time, it’s atmospheric, almost movie-like, with its canopy lighting above the baize tables. But Tunbridge Wells Borough Council wants to develop the whole Royal Victoria Place shopping centre, which would include bulldozing the club’s historic home, built in 1861.
Graham Martin, who owns the business with his family and rents the building from the council, said they were in danger of losing their business of 15 years and called it an “absolute tragedy”.
“Our beautiful building is subject to redevelopment and could lead to being pulled down, leaving Tunbridge Wells without a snooker club and a community hub that so many people rely on,” he said.
A petition has been launched calling on the council to rethink its redevelopment of the Royal Victoria Place shopping (RVP) centre site, which includes Ely Court and Market Square. The club, on Camden Road on the left as you walk away from the town centre, sits within the footprint of the RVP.
As KentLive reported, the club’s owners have already weathered one threat to the centre’s future, seven years ago, when an earlier revamp of the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre was on the cards, by then owner Hermes.
Fast forward to the present day, and new shopping centre owner, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, is moving apace with its own proposals, which include a boutique cinema, and building homes on Market Square.
And unfortunately for the snooker club, these latest proposals have once again plunged its future into jeopardy. The club, which opened in 1990, is a members’-only family-run club with seven full size tables, a pool lounge with two tables, gaming machines, a juke box and a bar.
The club has pulled in the biggest names in the sport from Steve Davies and Stephen Hendry to Jimmy White, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stuart Bingham and recent UK championship winner Mark Selby, who has signed the petition.
Tunbridge Wells resident Jerome Bowman told KentLive: “Snooker, pool and darts are some of the most inclusive sports going, and this is one of the few places locally where people of all ages can play, compete and socialise. The club also supports long-running regional leagues and keeps a real piece of sporting and local history alive.”
While another resident Giuseppe Viscogliosi told KentLive: “I’m horrified to hear that Victoria Snooker Club could be closing down in Tunbridge Wells. The club gave me the opportunity to play competitive snooker especially in the summer time, as where I live 15 miles away offered nothing during those months. It’s a great institution of the local community and would be sorely missed by locals and people like me. Snooker is a fabric of British life and is popular and prosperous in Tunbridge Wells, please let’s not lose it.”
And one resident called Emma, said this on the petition: “The council need to think very carefully about the development of this site. Whilst more leisure activities would be welcome, such as a boutique cinema, losing historical buildings and businesses like this should not be forfeited.”
And signee Jon said: “I’ve always had a friendly welcome when visiting the Victoria Snooker Centre and is the main reason for me visiting Tonbridge Wells. I have no shortage of cinemas and shops to visit, but a good Snooker club like this is increasingly hard to find. This is not just an asset for the local community in Tonbridge Wells, but also for the wider region.”
KentLive contacted TWBC for a comment on Thursday morning.
Where do I find the petition?
You can sign the petition, and leave a comment if you want, here
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