Locals in Leeds are now being encouraged to have their say on proposals planned to reduce the number of bowling sites across the city.
Back in December Leeds City Council announced plans for a consultation on crown green provision as part of a package to tackle financial challenges. It was revealed in 2024 that sites used as bowling facilities were forcing the local authority to find almost £275million in savings over the next five years.
Now the consultation has been launched, it is sorting people’s views on two options available that will help save the council money but keep some bowling sites available for those who enjoy the sport.
The first option would see the number of greens reduced to 31, delivering a net annual saving of £140,000 from the 2025/26 financial year onwards. This would also allow the council to target existing maintenance resources across fewer locations, resulting in better cared for bowls sites that could be used by multiple clubs rather than just one.
The second option explains all 61 current sites would stay open, but ticket prices to use them up increase to mitigate the ‘lost’ savings of £140,000.
As it stands, no concrete decision has been made on which option to choose and the newly launched consultation is set to run until 26th January.
In the event that some site closures end up going ahead, it is worth noting that Leeds would still have a higher number of council-run crown green bowling sites than other large cities such as Birmingham and Manchester.
Likewise, figures show demand for such cites has fallen by 39% since 2014, with three-quarters of existing council sites having fewer than 30 members.
Commenting on the news, Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: ‘In common with other councils across the country, Leeds is facing a financial challenge that continues to impact the services it is able to provide.
‘The proposals for our crown green bowling sites reflect both the seriousness of the situation and the need to explore every possible option that will help us balance our budget.
‘Equally, we recognise that these plans – which have been drawn up after a great deal of thought and analysis – will be a source of concern for some bowling club members.’
‘I would therefore like to encourage people to get involved with the consultation and share their views as we carefully consider our next steps,’ Cllr Rafique added. ‘We would also stress that the council remains fully committed to supporting crown green bowling and other activities that play a positive role in people’s health and well-being.’
More information about how to take part in the live consultation can be found here.
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