A STRUGGLING York social club claims it is staring extinction in the face - because of council planning delays.

Members of the Promenade Working Men's Club, in St Benedict Road, have petitioned City of York Council's planning department to complain about the length of time being taken to process an application designed to save it from closure.

The Evening Press revealed last year that the club had teamed up with Guildford Developments in order to survive.

Plans were submitted in December to demolish the existing building and replace it with 18 quality flats and a smaller version of the club below them.

The York-based developer loaned the club's committee enough cash to keep afloat for a year, while the application was processed.

But members say planning delays may mean they are forced to close before the plan can be accepted.

"The council needs to pull its finger out," a club spokeswoman said.

"We can't hang on much longer. This is the only way the club can survive. We don't have a bottomless pit of cash."

John Guildford, who runs Guildford Developments, said: "We're obviously concerned that this application is taking longer than normal to process.

"We're doing everything we can to assist the planners.

"I want the club to survive like everyone else - my father drinks in there."

But Cliff Carruthers, the council's development control officer, said the application was being dealt with as quickly as possible.

"The application was submitted in December and we've asked for some additional information about the potential noise levels that would be generated from the new club premises," he said.

"We've also asked about the number of parking spaces and the scale of the development.

"We're aware that there are time scale issues for the club and we're trying to work within them.

"It's about balancing the needs of the club with the competing problems that local residents might have with the application. If we can get it to July's planning meeting with recommendation to approve then hopefully it will fit in with their time scale."

The Promenade club is more than 100 years old and was formerly based in Vine Street.

Updated: 10:37 Friday, June 06, 2003