A bid to deliver dozens of homes at the site of a family-run Wigan social club has been rejected.
The plans included the demolition of Mr Earls in Ince and incorporated its adjacent bowling green.
The town hall said the application does not provide enough evidence that the leisure facility is ‘surplus to requirements’ or there is 'no longer a need' for the community venue.
The ruling has been welcomed as 'excellent news' by the venue's licensee Karen Midgley, who said the facilities remain in regular use by the community.
A petition in opposition to the development plans had attracted 500 signatures.
Mrs Midgley said: "It's a family run club and we're really relieved. It was a traumatic time for us because we didn't know which way it would go."
The Earl Street venue - formerly home to a branch of the Royal British Legion - suffered significant damage in a suspected arson attack earlier this year.
Work is ongoing to return it to full capacity, the licensee added.
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The loss of both the bowling green and the community building proposed in the development plan required specific justification, according to planning guidelines.
And officers said the application was ‘not supported by structured assessment or quantitative information’.
Documents submitted by Classic Contractors said the bowling green had 'not been used for years' and the 'vacant' club is 'essentially derelict'.
The designs included a mix of two and three bedroom affordable properties with an adjacent car park.
A council decision report said: “The authority has worked in a positive and pro-active manner with the applicant to identify solutions to make the development acceptable, however, it has not been possible to achieve the necessary improvements or submission of information sufficient to ensure the proposal would comprise sustainable development.”
