The rebuilding of a much-trailed bowling club could be include spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a “whole new facility".
This comes after a deal was struck after last year’s council elections to rebuild and expand the Kearsley Park Bowling Club on Thomas More Close.
Cllr Debbie Newall, of Kearsley, says that the rebuilding job will go-ahead regardless but that plans for new housing on nearby Alderbank Close could dovetail with this.
She said: “Initially ex-councillor Paul Heslop had secured £100,000 for improvements to the pavilion but it was thought that a whole new build was possible with not that much more expenditure.”
She added: “In May last year, we secured a further £200,000 to build a new facility for the club and for it to be used as a facility by the wider community.”
The deal to rebuild the bowling club was struck after last May’s local elections which saw the Bolton Labour group take power at town hall, having finished 10 seats ahead of the Conservative group.
But this left them short of a majority and the deal saw the now defunct One Kearsley Party agree to support the Labour group in return for agreements to make improvements in the area.
This included funding for the bowling club rebuild along with an agreement to reopen the old Zac’s Community Centre Prestolee.
In February this year the council agreed to take the Zac’s Centre of the list for community asset transfers and to keep it under council ownership.
The bowling club is also near the site of the old Alderbank Care Home, which was demolished several years ago and which has now become the site of a proposed new housing scheme.
ALSO READ: Deal struck for rebuilding and expansion on community centres
ALSO READ: Vacant community centre to reopen with 'movement soon' on rebuilding bowling club
ALSO READ: Party leader and founder announces surprise resignation
If approved this will see 27 new houses build for Bolton at Home by Seddon Construction.
Cllr Newall said she believed that this development could work alongside the expansion of the bowling club.
She said: “Seddon have a social value programme and we know that they will have people on site with materials and so my understanding is that it could be part of that.”
She added: “But the bowling club is a separate entity and regardless of what happens with the houses the rebuilding on it will still be going ahead.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel