By John Baron & Katherine Turner
Leeds City Council could cut the number of bowling greens it runs as the cash-strapped local authority looks to cut its costs in the next financial year.
The council has identified 30 bowling greens across the city which could be axed. In West Leeds these are Armley Park, Bramley Park, Westroyd Park in Farsley, New Farnley Park, Western Flatts Cliff Park in Wortley and Tyersal Park.
A public consultation has been launched on the proposed cuts, which include two options:
- Close 24 sites but retain a reduced number of strategically located crown green bowling ‘hubs’ which would be used by multiple bowling clubs and maintained by Leeds City Council. This will deliver a net saving of £140,000 with a reduction of four staff posts. Or:
- Increase the costs recovered from crown green bowling players by £140,000 by increasing season ticket pricing and recovering the full costs of utilities.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: “In common with other councils across the country, Leeds is facing a financial challenge that continues to impact the services it is able to provide.
“The proposals for our crown green bowling sites reflect both the seriousness of the situation and the need to explore every possible option that will help us balance our budget.
“Equally, we recognise that these plans – which have been drawn up after a great deal of thought and analysis – will be a source of concern for some bowling club members. I would therefore like to encourage people to get involved with the consultation and share their views as we carefully consider our next steps.
“We would also stress that the council remains fully committed to supporting crown green bowling and other activities that play a positive role in people’s health and well-being.”
The council says demand for bowling has declined by 39% since 2014 and the subsidy per bowler remains high at over £280 per bowler, not including the planned maintenance and utility bill costs.
Three-quarters of existing council sites having fewer than 30 members and the council adds: “In this context the city has too many bowling greens for it to be sustainably delivered (61 bowling greens across 47 sites) with a cost to the service of over £360,000 per annum.”
The 30 bowling greens earmarked for potential closure are spread across a total of 24 sites in 19 different council wards. The council says it needs to save
Reaction to proposals
There has already been an outcry to the proposed cuts in West Leeds.
A petition – which can be found here – has been set up to oppose the possible closure of the bowling green at Western Flatts Cliff Park, Wortley.
Kirsty McCarthy, who set up the petition, said: “The club is not merely a place for our older residents to partake in bowling competitions. It is a vibrant social hub where friendships are forged and nurtured, lifelines for many in our ageing population.
“Far from being just a recreational facility, Western Flatts is home to players who compete nationally, elevating our community’s standing in the sports world. The club also organises community fun days, further integrating it with the fabric of our community. It promotes social cohesion, raising up to £2,000 each fun day for charities.
“The potential shuttering of this precious community asset by the Leeds City Council not only jeopardises a beloved sport but risks unravelling the social threads that bind our community and could have an impact on the mental health of many people that attend.”
Wortley resident Gordon Stalker also plays at Western Flatts. He told WLD: “I love green bowling in the summer then we have indoor bowling in the winter. We also have fun and games days in the pavilion.
“We meet new friends. We enjoy the meeting days as it gets us all out of the house. We have a community of around 60/70 over 60s. I love it, it’s the only sport I can play after the effects after a stroke. I don’t know what I am going to do with my time?
“Our club is also growing year by year it’s a great waste of a great facility.”
Jenny Meehan, secretary of Friends of Armley and Gotts Park, said: “We are really saddened by the thought that we will lose this facility as we have been working towards saving our bowling club and making this sport more accessible in Armley. We recently bought lots of bowling equipment to try and get local schools and care homes involved.
A city-wide petition against the proposals already has more than 1,100 names in just 24 hours and can be found here.
Steve Jones, who started the citywide petition, writes: “The closure of these greens will not just deprive people their right to enjoy the game, but also take away that vital connection. Keeping these greens operating is about preserving the well-being of our community members, while fostering a healthy community spirit.”
Julie Hay, a supporter of Steve’s petition, added: “This would be another kick in the teeth for mainly the elderly. This is something that keeps them active and healthy and able to have a social life.”
Alan Mazurka, of Littlemoor Sports and Social Club in Pudsey, is also opposed to the proposals. He added: “This is not a dying game as the council would have you believe. These proposals would devastate lots of leagues in Leeds and surrounding areas and have an impact on the physical and mental health of people both young and old.
“It’s more than bowls. It’s a way of life. It’s a family who look out for each other.its not just the club that would disappear, all the leagues – and there are many in Yorkshire – would be thrown into chaos.
“And as for hubs: you cannot have four teams who play in the same league at the same time. It just does not work.”
Consultation sessions are taking place at Farnley Hall on Monday, 20 January at 10am and 5.45pm), and Temple Newsam, Holt Park Leisure Centre and the John Charles Centre for Sport at other dates.
The council consultation, where people can have their say on the proposals, can be found here.
The full list of potential retention/closures is:
Background
Leeds City Council is proposing a number of budget cuts as it faces an unprecedented strain on its finances which means it has to find nearly £275m in savings over the next five years.
Job losses, service cuts, building closures and a council tax rise of almost five per cent are also being considered by the authority, along with the closure of public buildings including Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall and Pudsey Civic Hall.
Latest figures show the council needs to save £106.4m during 2025/26 to avoid having it declare itself bankrupt.
The council faces rising costs in services, including adult social care, while central Government has under-funded councils over the past 15 years.
Council plans to close half of Leeds’s council-maintained bowling greens were first shelved back in February 2021, following a pubic outcry. Campaigners at the time said the decision should be heralded as a ‘new start’ for the sport in Leeds, and was a “perfect opportunity to get more people into the sport once Covid-19 lockdown rules have been lifted”.
WLD Cutswatch
WLD is following ongoing council cuts, closures and building sales in our Cutswatch series of articles.
Sad that this should happen as a result of 14 years of austerity by the last Tory government. Hopefully, things will eventually improve with more sensible politicians running the country.
Get out of the labour bubble look at councils properly there going bankrupt because of miss management
I would have thought that Bowling Clubs could be asked to pay more for Council services, financed by an increase in members’ subs. As a member of Tynemouth Bowling Club I fully appreciate that consolidation of bowling green activities would create havoc in local leagues and be wholly impractical to “share” bowling facilities. As there are a total of 47 greens on the table in this article it would require an average increase of £3,000 to meet the £140,000 saving aimed at by the council. Individual Club treasurers would have to assess whether an increase in subscriptions would meet this increase.
Perhaps if Labour council didn’t spend tens of millions of pounds on so called road improvements (Armley Gyratory…no better, year+ of delays), cycle lanes, A64 more “improvements” etc etc then perhaps they’d have a lot smaller amount of money left to fund things ike this, free parking at parks, libaries
Council and goverment don’t realise we are all pensioners that have paid 50 years in taxes NI, only to be mismanaged buy councils and goverment . Give us a chance to run the council I am shore we would do a better job. Give us control of our greens I know we could get the maintenance of the greens cheaper.
Such a shame for these people. As many of the players are older they may struggle to get from, say, New Farnley to Western Flatts. The social and health implications for people are a lot more serious than just not being able to play a ‘game’