JUNE
PIPIRI
2023
Bowling club plans to sell up but stay local by Louise Parry Eastbourne Bowling Club's plan to relocate - first mooted two and a half years ago - is back on the table, exasperating one of its potential neighbours. Its board has come up with three proposals for relocation within Eastbourne, which it said it has consulted with the Eastbourne Sports and Services Club, Eastbourne Community Board and council parks and reserves officers about. If none are agreed upon, the club will be forced to amalgamate with another club, the Board says, “with the players taking the proceeds of sale of the existing premises with them”. "It would be a travesty to lose some millions of dollars in value from the Eastbourne community and deprive Eastbourne of its own bowling facility for current and future generations." The options put forward include: Relocating to the south side of existing Croquet Green, requiring the removal of a line of Pohutukawa trees, relocating the Cricket Club practice nets and replacing a re-centered cricket wicket; relocating to the former Croquet Club lawn (formerly the women’s bowling club) either to the north of the site of the “somewhat under utilised tennis courts” next to San Antonio Church, or south to the cricket area and relocating the trees and practice nets; or relocating to the tennis courts. In each of these concept plans a standard 34m x 34m all-weather synthetic bowling green is envisaged, which could include in the future a canopy for inclement weather. The plans would likely include a club building with the possibility of its own bar for members.
Eastbourne Croquet Club president Liz Palmer is surprised the plan is up for discussion again before a business case has been put forward. "They've been told by everyone that they can't do it, and that's that," she says. "We've wasted hours and heaps of emotional energy on this." The bowling club previously approached the croquet club, and the ESSC and Eastbourne Community Board, she says. "They couldn't get anywhere with any of them." When it was first approached, the croquet club agreed in principle to remove its memorial hedge to allow enough room for an adjacent bowling green, but it did not support relocating the croquet club lawn. "We won't allow an invasion of our green," Mrs Palmer said, adding that she questioned any plan to halve the size of the basketball court when the sport is among the fastest growing in the country. "I can't believe it would be raised again. It's been gone through until we're blue in the face." Any one of the five stakeholder clubs (Cricket, Croquet, RSA, Rugby and Football) under the ESSC head lease has the power of veto to any or all of the options. Eastbourne Cricket Club said that it has no problem with moving the nets if it is for the benefit of the community. "When there is a formal proposal ready for consideration, we will discuss it via the ECC Committee and provide feedback," Neil Gray said. "Until then, speculating on 'what if ' doesn’t seem worthwhile." The bowling club said it would "greatly contribute" to any building and development costs. The Bowling Club is intent on leaving no
stakeholder in a worse position and to improve the shared Eastbourne sporting hub for the betterment of all," a statement said, adding a public meeting would be held in the future. Eastbourne Sports and Services Club chairman Kevin Togher said that there had been discussions around licensing between the Bowling Club, Hutt City Council and the ESSC, "and we have an agreement that I expect will be part of the final proposal that the bowling club provides that will ultimately be part of the public consultation that will follow. I am sure there will be plenty of opinions once a final concept is presented." Eastbourne Community Board chair Belinda Moss said the board's position was that, while it would be good to retain the bowling club in Eastbourne, the current proposal came at a cost - the loss of the tennis courts and much of the cricket practice area. "There must be robust consultation, and we won't support the proposal unless it has community support," she said. Hutt City Council said the Eastbourne Bowling Club approached it with an enquiry to possibly establish bowling at HW Shortt Recreation Ground. "Hutt City Council has investigated relocating the bowling club to a new green at HW Shortt Recreation Ground. Our preliminary investigation has not considered reducing the croquet lawn," a spokesperson said. The next part of the process would involve a formal request from the bowling club. No formal proposal had been received by HCC. If one is received, engagement and formal consultation would be required.
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