ONE of East Lancashire's last remaining croquet clubs is appealing for a new home after it was told it must get out of its present one by Nelson and Colne College.

The members of Pendle Croquet Club have played the genteel sport on lawns at the college since 1986, but they have been told that the site is set to be developed and that they must move out.

The club must now find a new home by next year or face dissolution which would cause uproar among fans of the sport as the nearest other club is in Bury.

The club is now in discussions with Pendle Borough Council with a view to setting up home in Victory Park, Barnoldswick.

The site was picked from a shortlist of 14 possible new homes after other sites proved unsuitable or too expensive for the club.

The plan, if agreed by councillors, would be to create four playing courts, a small pavilion, storage and shelter.

The club would pay for all the development and maintenance costs, although an exact cost for the scheme is not yet known.

Colin Patten, Pendle Borough Council's service manager for parks, cemeteries and outdoors, said: "There have been proposals to relocate to Marsden Park at the outdoor pool site. The problem with this is that redevelopment works will probably not be completed by December 2003 which is the date the club needs to be at its new location. With this in mind we have been looking at Victory Park and Letcliffe Park in Barnoldswick as possible sites. It still has to go through consultation, but the club and councillors seem to like the idea."

The club are keen to get the scheme accepted as they play host to several national croquet competitions each year and have a thriving membership of around 50 people.

John Beech, of the club, said: "We are in negotiations over the site in Victory Park and are hoping for a positive response by early next year.

"Unless we can secure a new home we do face going down the spout, which would be disastrous."

Nelson and Colne College School Governor, John David, said: "We informed the croquet club about our plans a while ago to be fair to them. They are good tenants and we don't really want them to have to leave, but we are here for educational purposes and that's what has to come first.

"We are discussing the possibilities of merging the two college sites as well as other developments which yet have to go through planning. The croquet club understands the situation and we will be consulting with members to give them as much notice as possible."

Mohammed Iqbal, a Pendle councillor, said: "It's a great shame. The croquet players are seen in the summer in their whites year after year -- it's what the passing motorists always notice.

"There is nothing the council can do about the college's plans, but as councillors we will offer our help and assist the croquet club in finding somewhere else to play."

Azar Ali, Leader of Pendle Council, said: "I know the croquet club are looking for a new site. There was some talk at one point about moving to Marsden Park because of the lottery funding they have received but that's all I know at this point."