A SNOOKER club that has operated from the same village premises for more than 100 years fears it could face eviction.

Clapham Snooker Club, which has more than 25 members, has met and played matches regularly at the village's Reading Rooms for at least a century, but now the building's owners, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, is considering the property's future.

One option, which would ensure the snooker club stayed put has been suggested by the recently formed Clapham Development Association. It is hoping to buy the building with grant aid and run it as an information and craft centre.

If the deal was to go through, the snooker club would be guaranteed its home into the future and the village would have a valuable asset.

David Kingsley, chairman of the development association and snooker club member, explained: "The Reading Rooms were sold in the sixties to the national park as an information centre, with a condition that the snooker club could stay there for as long as it wanted for a token rent, currently £10 a year.

"Now the national park has closed the information centre, saying it was not viable to convert it for disabled access, and they want to sell it. In fairness, the national park has said it is duty bound to give us first refusal.

"We are consulting with solicitors, drawing up a business plan and seeing if it is possible to get grants to buy the Reading Rooms," he said.

The development association is confident it can adapt the building for disabled access to comply with forthcoming legislation, and continue the information service with volunteers.

Mr Kingsley, who runs Arbutus House guesthouse in the village, said: "Since the national park shut the information centre there has been nowhere for visitors to find out about walks, the cave, nature trail or anything. Shops and cafes are being bombarded with visitors wanting information.

"Imagine trying to serve in a caf and people continually asking which way it is to Ingleborough. It is a service which is much missed.

"The building was sold in the spirit of village amenity for the national park to use it as an information centre. Now they effectively want to asset strip it. The national park has basically washed its hands of Clapham."

If the 20-plus member strong development association acquired the Reading Room it would set up a rota of volunteers to man the centre and use the upstairs as somewhere for local craftspeople to sell their goods.

Ideally the association would like to buy the nearby national park car park as well to finance the Reading Rooms.

"We would consider leasing the Reading Rooms for a nominal rent. We would get the grants for installing disabled access," said Mr Kingsley.

A spokesman for the national park authority told the Herald no decision had been made on the future of the Reading Rooms, but it very much hoped a proposal involving the association could be brought forward.

She said: "At the moment there is no question of anybody being thrown out and no decision has been made.

"The authority is very encouraged by the proposals from the Clapham Development Association and is working with them to explore various options. Hopefully one of those options will be put in front of the members for consideration.

"The authority is looking to decide on the best future for the Reading Rooms and we are very much working with those people who have an interest," the spokesman told the Herald.

The authority is now going into partnership with Settle Tourist Information Centre to help visitors, said the spokesman.

"The Clapham centre closed down on issues of cost effectiveness and through the partnership with Settle TIC we will reach a wider audience," she added.