DEVIZES Snooker Club will close in January next year and the site will be redeveloped for housing. Club owner Brian Foster has exchanged contracts with Surrey-based developers James Cubitt Homes Limited.

He has owned the club for eight years but claims dwindling trade had persuaded him to sell up.

He said: "People in the town don't want the snooker club. We have got 1,000 members but we don't get enough customers in here.

"On Monday and Tuesday nights we had a combined total of 15 customers. I think people would rather go drinking at pubs and have a fight in the street afterwards."

Mr Foster has invested more than £60,000 on refurbishing the club and making it more of a family venue offering a range of facilities.

"We used to have 14 snooker tables but now there are four. It's a facility that is not supported by people in Devizes. Some of our members have said they are disappointed it is closing but I warned them use it or lose it," he said.

The club, formerly known as the Royale Snooker and Social Club, was opened by former world snooker champion Dennis Taylor in 1991.

The original partners Dave Hughes and Emily Rogers sold the club to Colin Lee of Trowbridge Snooker Club and father of professional ace Stephen Lee. Mr Lee sold it on to Mr Foster.

He has battled for planning permission for housing. Town councillors objected and Kennet District Council's planning officers recommended refusal saying it would result in the loss of an amenity.

But district councillors went against that advice and granted planning permission for the club to be demolished and five town houses to be built fronting on to Station Road.

Planning permission was granted last December but negotiations on a legal agreement for payment towards a play area was only concluded this week.

The club will close in the middle of January. Mr Foster said he has already been contacted by people interested in buying a town house on the site.

l Mr Foster is still waiting to hear from Punch Taverns, the owner of the Rising Sun pub which he took over in Southbroom Road, about his request for safety work to be carried out inside the pub.

The pub has been closed for ten weeks. Mr Foster closed the pub on the advice of his solicitor after concerns were raised about health and safety.

Mr Foster has laid off the six staff he employed at the Rising Sun.