Give me a break says snooker plan Tariq

Reporter: DAWN MARSDEN
Date online: 10/03/2010

A resident who wants to open a multicultural snooker centre has hit back at objections from Oldham College.

Tariq Majid has submitted an application to the planning department to re-open Oldham Snooker Centre next to the college from 11am-3am every day.

The centre, which would not sell alcohol, would employ three full-time and five part-time staff.

Staff at Oldham College have lodged an objection to the application saying that it would be a distraction for students and cause conflict within the college community.

Mr Majid says he believes that college students would be mature enough to make their own decisions about who they mix with and that the centre could go a long way to uniting communities and keeping youngsters off the streets.

He said: “I have no intention of providing a second rate, run-of-the-mill snooker club.

“I have planned very hard to provide excellent services.

“With limited youth clubs and other such facilities for young adults today the only place they know is the streets.

“Surely they deserve a chance to be invested in and not ostracised. I would like to stress there is no intention to sell alcohol at the premises.

“The reasons are for me to remain in line with my faith and to provide a place of recreation where there is no increased risk of disruptiveness.

“I cannot choose who will walk through the doors of the snooker centre but rest assured anyone who comes with intentions to misbehave would certainly be barred.”

Mr Majid plans to provide an internet access zone, a lounge area with televised sporting events and an eatery.

He also hopes that more people from the borough’s ethnic communities would be encouraged to take up the sport and get involved with the Oldham and Chadderton Snooker Leagues. Mr Majid added: “Since the closing of the popular Riley’s snooker centre in King Street there has been a huge void. I aim to bring back better facilities to Riley’s previous customers who were mainly college students during the day.

“I aim to provide a place of relaxation for the citizens of Oldham and steer the youth away from the streets and provide them with an affordable place of recreation. This is more than a profit making venture, as a father myself I hope that more entrepreneurs in Oldham will invest further in our youth and fellow citizens.”