Bowling could return to Bailey’s Court after an agreement by the town council will see them negotiate with Bradley Stoke Bowls Club.
Northavon Bowls Club collapsed following a long-running battle over rent but councillors will now negotiate with the newly-formed team.
The decision, though, is only the start of the process with Jim Durlacher, former president of Northavon Bowls Club, warning it could take time to set up the team.
Mr Durlacher told the BBC that it “would not happen overnight” and that the original team took some 15 months to get started.
The town council has said it wants competative play to return in the 2010 season.
Deputy chair Ben Walker said: “I’m delighted my colleagues have supported this proposal, there are still some details to work out but we’re all looking forward to seeing the bowlers back on the green.”
Town Mayor Mark Forsyth said: “This is a fresh start for local bowlers and I’m looking forward to working with the new club.”
“This administration has always supported local sport and we work particularly closely with both football and cricket, there is no reason why bowls should be any different.”
2 responses so far ↓
1 Jon Williams // Sep 18, 2009 at 12:53 pm
It’s pleasing to see the change in attitude from the Conservatives. However, I hope they are prepared to financially support the club in the early days whilst the membership grows. Without a commitment of this nature the club will not be able to afford the proposed rental costs and we could see the fiasco of 2007/08 revisted. Good luck to the bowlers.
2 James // Sep 19, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Apparently, the old bowls club was being asked for around £8000.00 a year for the facility at Baileys Court and they couldn’t or wouldn’t find the money. I have no idea of their membership numbers.
I’ve have written elsewhere on this subject, so, as to be in no doubt, I have no connection with this Club.
What strikes me is that the Council could and should have used some lateral thinking. They have ‘lost’ several thousand pounds of revenue over the last year or so on a facility that is supposed to be of local benefit.
The current fee for using the green on an ad hoc basis has not, to my probably reliable guess, been seen as reasonable by individuals. Had it been, the green would have seen some use.
Surely it is not beyond the wit of Councillors to find eighty local people prepared to stump up, say, £100.00 per year to play there on an unlimited basis; first come first served and/or rostered?
Even kick starting with just ten or twenty people would have made quite a lot more then the zero that’s been turned over so far. If I’m wrong perhaps the Council could let it be known exactly how many have used the green since the Bowls Club was evicted.
Even kick starting with just our £200.00 would have have been of some benefit.
There are six ‘rinks’. If the Council ran it’s own club of 200 members at a one off £50,00 each per year there, still, would not be enough people to cause a serious log jam for playing slots.
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