Comment - as Kettering celebrates Kyren's world title, it's more important than ever that snooker club is not lost

Like many across the town, we were all glued to our screens as he defeated Welshman Jak Jones at the Crucible Theatre to win the sport’s biggest prize.

One club which would have had eyes on the final was Cuetopia in Montagu Street, where Kyren himself has played in a pool league.

But how sad is it that the biggest cue sports venue in the world snooker champion’s hometown is facing the threat of demolition to make way for flats?

Oxfordshire-based Certain Security Limited want to knock it down and build 24 apartments in a ‘superstructure’ on top of the retail units below the snooker club.

A petition against the plan was signed by hundreds of people and many have lodged objections to North Northamptonshire Council, who will make a decision at a later date.

Those who run Cuetopia have been offered the chance to move into the old Argos building nearby, although they don’t believe it’s suitable.

We appreciate that, as landlords, the long-term future of the Montagu Street site is ultimately up to Certain Security Limited and that the chance to build apartments is probably financially lucrative.

We also appreciate that, even if the apartments plan is rejected, in reality there is very little that Cuetopia can do as tenants to ensure they remain there.

But a solution must be found to ensure Cuetopia can remain open, be it at its current site or somewhere else.

It is not just a snooker club but, as Kettering Town Council put it in a formal objection, ‘a critical feature of the town’s social life’.

And in reality, what does Kettering need more? 24 apartments or a social venue enjoyed by thousands of members?

Kyren’s success can inspire the next generation of snooker players and, who knows, maybe even another future world champion from Kettering.

That seems less likely if the town’s biggest cue sports venue was to shut, and what a crying shame that would be.