PLANS have been put forward to knock down York's oldest club and build 28 flats on the site.

The Irish National League (INL) Club, in Speculation Street, off Walmgate, closed its doors in April last year after 112 years in business. The club had gone into receivership the year before.

Now two linked planning applications have been made to City of York Council to demolish the premises and build a mixture of one and two-bedroom flats.

The proposed development would feature a four-storey, main building, running parallel to the stretch of city wall, with two separate buildings, one four storeys high and the other three storeys, in front of the main building, to create a courtyard.

Existing buildings in the area are mostly three or four storeys.

The development would include 18 two-bedroom flats and ten one-bedroom flats.

Consultation over the applications, which have been made in the name of Mr K Mohan, began in the last few days with letters being sent to nearby residents by the council.

The planning bid is likely to be considered by councillors in April at the earliest.

The demise of the club, which over the years notched up a proud record of achievement in a range of sports from rugby and football to darts and snooker, was met with sadness from its members. The club was founded by the large community of Irish workers who made their homes in the Walmgate area.

It was among four York clubs to close its doors in just more than a year, the others being Fulford Road WMC, Layerthorpe WMC and the York City Arms.

In November last year, the Evening Press reported that developers were said to be "circling like sharks" to build lucrative housing on failing club sites.

The Evening Press conducted a survey in which clubs said overwhelmingly that the club scene was in decline, with a lack of younger members and profit margins becoming smaller.

Updated: 11:07 Tuesday, February 18, 2003