Leeds crown green bowls price hike to go ahead

Leeds bowls players will see season ticket fees double after councillors voted to press ahead with a shake-up of crown green provision.

Transcript

00:00Leeds City Council have confirmed they are proceeding with plans for a Crown Green bowling

00:04membership price hike. Back in March we reported on how 31 bowling sites were earmarked for

00:10potential closure, including Grove Hill in Otley, but a big backlash among many bowlers

00:16saw the council reconsider before committing to the continued maintenance of all existing

00:21greens until the end of the 2025 summer season.

00:26Now, Leeds Bowls players will see season ticket fees double after councillors voted to press

00:31ahead with a shake-up of Crown Green provision. In a recent meeting, fears were raised about

00:37elderly people and families being priced out of the sport, but the authority reiterated

00:43it must make savings of more than £100 million in this year's budget. The move means that

00:49adult season tickets will rise from £45 to £90 and clubs will also be required to cover

00:55their own electricity and water bills. Opposition councillors asked the council's Environment,

01:00Housing and Communities Scrutiny Board to refer revised proposals for reconsideration.

01:06Wayne Dixon, the Social Democratic Party councillor for Middleton Park, shared a gut feeling that

01:11it could see more greens closed than originally planned. Morley Borough Independence member

01:17Robert Finnegan said that increased fees would hit elderly people already paying more for

01:21council tax and household bills. Laura Fully-Love from Hare Hills Park Bowling Club said a family

01:27of four would now pay £270 per season, which could decimate the sport if no grassroots

01:32provision is available. Councillor Mohamed Rafiq said that Leeds has one of the best

01:37Crown Green provisions in the country, adding that he's confident that following the consultation

01:41and the work the council are doing, that that will still be the case.