Club canopy hopes dashed

Committee members proposed putting a canopy on the front of Marske Workingmen's Club, in east Cleveland, to protect wheel-chair users and other members from the biting wind and rain sweeping in off the North Sea.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council rejected the proposal, so the club, which is in the High Street conservation area, went to appeal, only to have its appeal dismissed.

With earnings down as a result of the national smoking ban, club secretary Colin Graves, said the 1,800-member club could not afford to do anything other than accept the ruling.

"We don't understand the decision, we don't know where it's coming from, but we could not afford to take this further,'' he said.

Mr Graves said the club did not have the £3,000 to £4,000 it would need to appeal against the decision of the planning inspector.

He said: "I was informed the only way we could go was to the High Court, but we can't afford that. This smoking ban is crippling the clubs and we are well down on our takings. We are losing money.

"The club has been there since 1919, while the extension was built on in the 1960s. But we have never had a complaint from anybody. And we have live music every week.''

Mr Graves said he knew the findings of the planning inquiry, but had neither met planning inspector Anthony Lyman nor been made aware of the official's fact-finding visit to the area.

Outlining his reasons for dismissing the appeal, Mr Lyman said the proposed canopy would attract smokers from the club and provide shelter for others, including congregating youths.

He also found the canopy would present the potential for disturbance and noise, while its size and associated lighting would "harm rather than enhance or preserve the appearance of the area".

Mr Graves said the club's doormen would move on any youths hanging about outside, while the club did not have a litter problem and its cleaners always kept the front of the building tidy.