A TWYFORD watering hole has been saved from the bulldozers by city planning bosses.

Trustees at the troubled Twyford Social Club applied to demolish the building and replace it with four semi-detached three-bedroom homes.

They wanted to secure planning permission on the site in case their finances got so bad that it had to close.

Trade at the club has declined at a steady rate over the last 18 months that it was making losses of about £2,000 a month.

The planning application for the social club in Queen Street was lodged to give the 160 members, who all own a share in the establishment, a fallback position in case the club goes under.

Trustee, Charles Smith, told the Daily Echo: "I anticipated that decision to be honest. The last thing we want is to shut the club but we have to wait and see."

Locals were shocked when the application was made just days after the Bugle Inn in Park Lane shut down.

It is now widely believed that the new owners will apply to redevelop the pub site for housing.

There are no immediate plans to sell the social club and in an ironic twist Mr Smith says since The Bugle closed trade has recently increased

"It has brought an upturn in our profits," he said. "We will have to wait and see if it's a flash in the pan but hopefully it could mean we won't have to close. We have even made a profit in the last couple of months for the first time in two years.

"A lot of our members have also realised what trouble we were in and they have started turning up more and organising functions."

Mr Smith vowed to appeal against the decision in case the money troubles return with a vengeance.

He said: "We have got to do it just in case, while we have got the money."

Mr Smith also stated that a number of builders have already made offers on the site, with or without planning permission.

Civic chiefs turned the application down on the grounds that it would result in the loss of a community facility.

Mr Smith added: "It's obviously in trouble and the council should be looking at what they can do to help instead of just throwing this out."