Prestolee Zac's Centre to reopen with Kearsley Bowling Club

The Zac’s Centre on Crompton Road, Prestolee, has been empty since the charity decided it could no longer continue in 2022.

But last year the new council leadership agreed to revive the centre in order to win the support of the now defunct One Kearsley party to form a ruling administration.

Cllr Debbie Newall, of Kearsley, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to take this next step forward in getting our own community centre back for our residents.

“The main thanks for this should go to ex Cllr Paul Heslop, who called in the decision by the then Tory administration to put this building on the CAT list.”

Kearsley Park Bowling Club is also set to be rebuilt and expanded (Image: Google Maps)

The CAT list refers to community asset transfers, which sees buildings like this taken out of council ownership.

But in February this year, Bolton Council approved the old Zac’s Centre’s removal from the list of buildings up for Community Asset Transfer.

They also approved its reopening after repairs costing around £10,000.

The deal was struck to revive the Prestolee centre after last May’s local election which saw Labour finish as the biggest party on Bolton Council, but without a majority.

The then leader of One Kearsley, Paul Heslop, agreed to back the Labour group in return for bringing the centre back into use.

The deal also included an agreement to rebuild and expand Kearsley Park Bowling Club on Thomas More Close.

One Kearsley leader Mr Heslop has since stepped down from the council, while his colleagues Cllr Newall and Cllr Melanie Livesey have joined the Labour Group.

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Cllr Newall said: “The only three councillors involved with getting this asset reinstated in Kearsley were Paul Heslop, Melanie Livesey and myself.

“It was part of the price we set for agreeing to support the new Labour administration instruction last May at a time when the so called Independents were still trying to prop up a Tory administration.

“I'm disappointed by this but unfortunately not surprised.

“The important point is that we can now build for our community in the villages of Stoneclough, Prestolee and Ringley, and we expect movement soon with the rebuild of the Kearsley Bowling Club as a community asset in the Kearsley area of the ward.”