Bosses at supermarket giant Aldi – the new owners of the Conservative Club on Clifton Drive North – are rumoured to be in talks to sell off the building before an application to create a new store can be submitted to the council.
Despite the speculation, the German supermarket chain was today remaining silent as to its plans.
St Annes Conservative Club was sold to Aldi in 2005, but has been the centre of controversy ever since.
And with the arrival of a new Marks & Spencer food outlet opening in the spring, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive that Aldi could pull plans to open the store on the corner of St George's Road and Clifton Drive.
St Annes-based building company Newfield Jones said today it had not bought the property off Aldi, but was interested in turning part of the 16,000 sq ft property into accommodation.
John Hayfield, managing director of the firm, said: "We've not been approached by Aldi to buy the Conservative Club.
"However, if Aldi is not proceeding with its plans we would be interested in turning part of the building into apartments.
"We're unaware that Aldi is planning to sell off the building, but we would be interested if they do plan to in the near future. We're currently engaged in another property development at the end of St George's Road and once that's complete we will, of course, be looking for further investments."
Parking
Newfield Jones is currently building luxury apartments on the site of the former Plaza bingo hall on St George's Road.
The proposed new supermarket and parking at the Conservative Club site will make up the ground floor and basement while the remaining floors will house a new club and 28 apartments.
Aldi also bought the former job centre and Blackpool and The Fylde College hair and beauty school building at the back of the Conservative Club in July 2005.
A spokesman for Aldi today
refused to confirm or deny if it was proceeding with plans for a store.