Bring snooker back to Stevenage
Several years ago the Riley’s club in Stevenage was closed down to make way for flats. Although this club wasn’t doing particularly well and was struggling with high rent, the decision to close the Club came from Stevenage Borough Council.
The announcement at the time caused local outrage, accusing the local council of putting housing before local amenities. Stevenage has long suffered with empty retail outlets and little interest to bring big retailers back into the community. The view of decision makers is that residents should travel to Letchworth to play snooker or Welwyn Garden City to shop in Marks and Spencer.
However the result of such an ill judged decision is that you gradually erode the heart of the community, leaving little for the young and old to go to and socially interact in. Stevenage has a bingo hall, cinema and bowling alley but little else. This increases the potential rise of youth crime due to boredom and lack of engagement.
Stevenage desperately needs something to conquer these social problems and one such solution is to bring back a snooker club.This doesn’t have to be a Riley’s and could be instead an independent enterprise, either through the backing of a local businessperson or by local residents coming together and forming a cooperative to raise funds and run. With fixed opening hours, good facilities, varied activities in the club, this really could be the key to one of the ways of rejuvenating Stevenage. To me this a win, win solution and so I now hope people will read this blog, be inspired and take action to achieve this positive goal.
https://www.thecomet.net/comet-life/letters-closure-of-stevenage-rileys-is-disgusting-1-3649584
The announcement at the time caused local outrage, accusing the local council of putting housing before local amenities. Stevenage has long suffered with empty retail outlets and little interest to bring big retailers back into the community. The view of decision makers is that residents should travel to Letchworth to play snooker or Welwyn Garden City to shop in Marks and Spencer.
However the result of such an ill judged decision is that you gradually erode the heart of the community, leaving little for the young and old to go to and socially interact in. Stevenage has a bingo hall, cinema and bowling alley but little else. This increases the potential rise of youth crime due to boredom and lack of engagement.
Stevenage desperately needs something to conquer these social problems and one such solution is to bring back a snooker club.This doesn’t have to be a Riley’s and could be instead an independent enterprise, either through the backing of a local businessperson or by local residents coming together and forming a cooperative to raise funds and run. With fixed opening hours, good facilities, varied activities in the club, this really could be the key to one of the ways of rejuvenating Stevenage. To me this a win, win solution and so I now hope people will read this blog, be inspired and take action to achieve this positive goal.
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