City's bowling greens get temporary reprieve

Thirty publicly-owned bowling greens in Leeds which are at risk of closure will be maintained until the end of the 2025 summer season, the city council has said.

Previously, the cash-strapped local authority had proposed closing the facilities, which it said would save £140,000 a year and allow it to concentrate resources on the 31 remaining greens.

But on Tuesday, the council said all sites across Leeds would be maintained in 2025, following feedback from the first stage of a public consultation.

Although the long-term future of the sites in question remained uncertain, the council said it would now engage in "detailed discussions" with the city's bowling clubs.

Those discussions would include clubs which had expressed an interest in taking over maintenance of the greens they used, a spokesperson said.

Speaking before the latest announcement, Laura Fulleylove, secretary at Harehills Park Bowling Club, said the proposed closures would save Leeds City Council "pennies" in the context of their overall budget.

She told BBC Radio Leeds: "To decimate the whole history of crown green bowling in the north of England - which is what the knock-on effect would be - is very short-sighted.

"We've got people terrified that their whole world is going to be turned upside down."

While the proposed closures were one option under consideration by the council, another possibility was to keep all 61 sites open, but at the expense of hiking season ticket prices for players, the council said.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, portfolio holder for environment, said: "The council has been clear its financial situation means it needs to make difficult decisions, with staffing reductions, building closures and asset sales being explored across all service areas.

"We also recognise, though, that each and every one of these decisions must be taken in a way that gives people the best possible chance to have their voices heard.

"Since we began gathering views on the proposed changes to crown green bowling provision, players and clubs have told us they feel more time is needed for the plans to be considered."

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