Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Club: Consultants assessing options

BCP Council is ‘pausing’ the sporting operation at Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Centre in King's Park from the end of March.

The authority has said the building cannot continue to operate at a loss during the current cost of living crisis and the pressures on delivering a balanced budget next year.

Read more: Club members launch petition to keep Bournemouth bowls club open

As reported, a petition has been launched calling for the council to allow indoor bowls to continue uninterrupted while the future of the facility is considered.

At the full council meeting on December 5, Boscombe East and Pokesdown ward councillor George Farquhar asked what the plan for sports and education at the facility was going forward.

Cllr Jane Kelly, portfolio holder for communities, health and leisure, said while she understood the decision to ‘pause’ the service was disappointing, she said support would be given for members to access other clubs in Christchurch and Poole.

Read more: Bowls club 'pays BCP Council £45,000 in rent per year' for use of indoor rink

She said that membership numbers at the club and for the sport nationally had declined.

“We cannot continue to operate the building at a loss under the current cost of living pressures and the adjustments we are having to make to the budget to arrive at a balanced position for next year,” Cllr Kelly said.

Cllr Jane Kelly (Image: BCP Council)

“We have currently commissioned a specialist consultancy company to undertake of the Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Club facility and service. This review will determine the demand of indoor bowls across BCP and recommend further options for the use of the bowls area based on the demographic and the needs of local residents to the facility.

“The Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Club facility is an integral part of the leisure portfolio of BCP Council.

“The objective remains to develop the facility into a thriving leisure asset and maximise its potential for the benefit of the local community and wider demographic as per the original proposals agreed upon purchase by the Boscombe Towns Fund.

“The building is in no way considered to be disposable and every effort will be made to bring it back to life as soon as possible.”

Read more: ‘This is their life': Council closes Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Club

BCP Council acquired the lease for the building last year using money from the Boscombe Towns Fund grant.

The local authority made a commitment to maintaining the bowls service for 12 months, which had been honoured, Cllr Kelly said.

Cllr Farquhar later asked if any progress would be made on the situation before the service stopped at the end of March next year.

Cllr Kelly said: “There are constant conversations going on currently between officers and representatives of the members. I think there have also been meetings with a wider number of the residents with our leisure officers and all sorts of options are being discussed.

“It is being discussed as to whether the current committee would be able to run the facility. I don’t know what the outcome of those conversations are going to be. I haven’t yet seen the report from the company, so there is an awful lot going on but we don’t know the outcome as yet.”