THE Conservative club in Whalley is set to close after the building was sold by the trustees due to dwindling membership.

The Queen Street club was established in 1893 and is housed in the old Assembly Rooms building, most of which has now been converted into Rendezvous nightclub.

The club, which is not now affiliated with the Conservative Party, opened up its membership to women in 1997 and has around 100 members. The building was sold for around the guide price of £150,000 to a ‘person from the Ribble Valley’. The club is set to close in the next few months after the new owner takes ownership and it’s not clear whether it will reopen. Known as ‘The Connie Club’, the premises includes a snooker room, bar, kitchen, function room and a pool room.

Ken Taylor, who is one of three trusties, said: “We received a lot of interest for the building.

“It’s sad that it has come to this but it’s good to get things finalised.

“The club is only opened on a limited basis at the moment and only opens for business on Monday and Friday evenings.

“The trustees don’t know much about the future of the building but I doubt that the club will remain in existence. I know that the new owner does not need planning permission to change the use of the building for what they have planned for it.”

Former member Tony Brown, who left in 2010 after joining in 1987, said: “Pubs and clubs are not as well supported as they used to be and this is a familiar story around the country.

“The poor economic climate will also have played a part.”