A SOCIAL club which was saved from bulldozers twice last year is under threat again.

Plans to turn Clayton-le-Moors Sports and Social Club into a children's nursery have been submitted to Hyndburn Council.

Last year the owners of the club - Bolton-based Fretlane Ltd - tried to secure permission to bulldoze the Moor Street building and make way for housing twice.

But both planning applications were turned down because the council said the bowling green on the site was classed as a greenfield site and it would be against council planning policy.

The council also said there was sufficient housing in the borough, and at the time of the second application had declared a freeze on new homes.

However, the company claims that the club is losing money because customer numbers are too low and it has been looking for an alternative use for the site.

It has now applied to retain the building planning permission to turn it into a children's day care centre.

Angela Calvert, the licensee at the club, said: "They couldn't get planning permission for the houses so this is another possibility for the building.Our regulars won't be impressed, but there just aren't the numbers using it that they want.

"We've been doing a lot of things to attract people in and make if more family friendly, like having a barbecue and karaoke on a Sunday, but you can't drag people in off the street."

Chief planning officer for Hyndburn Council, Brendan Lyons, said: "It has only just come in and the owners of the building have not had discussions with us prior to putting in the application."

The application suggests that the facility would be for about 30 children and would have at least eight members of staff.

Ward councillor Tim O'Kane said: "If you lose venues like that, which are in the town centre and provide function rooms for celebrations such as important birthdays, what happens is that you get these informal house parties which are uncontrolled and that's where you get problems."