Dudley bowlers take matters into their own hands as maintenance costs rocket

The Black Country Bowls Club and Crystal Bowls Club, both based in Dudley, want to lease the borough's only flat bowling green in Stevens Park, Wollescote, on a 10-year term.

Dudley council bosses say they are now working with members to find a suitable way forward.

It comes as it was announced last year that bowling clubs across the borough face a staggering hike of up to £12,000 in maintenance fees – as the cash-strapped council aims to save £20 million by 2018.

Clubs themselves currently only pay £750 towards the costs.

Now, angered members of the park's bowling clubs say they are appealing to the council to take on the maintenance of the green themselves.

Black Country Bowls Club secretary, Brian Simmonds said: "Following the councils meeting with us towards the end of last year they said we would have to either accept the fees or take over the running ourselves.

"We now see this as the only way forward for us to take on the green.

"There were complications with the Stevens Trust saying that under the deed of gift land cannot be given away, but we feel that surely it could be leased to us.

"The worrying thing for us is that if we are not careful members will have to go elsewhere, which is incredibly sad as we have been established for more than 20 years.

"We just want a way forward."

Geoffrey Downing, aged 83, from Withymoor, who has been a member of the club for several years, said it had been an on-going saga.

He added: "We want to loan the green from the trust and get some movement on this matter now as it has been going on long enough.

"Obviously this is not the ideal situation we want to be in but if we can take it off the council's hands I am sure we could manage it for less than the £12,000 they are suggesting.

"I think about £4,000-£5,000 a year would be enough.

"We are all senior citizens and this is important to us so now we want the council to help us with this."

Councillor Hilary Bills, Dudley council's cabinet member for environmental services, said: "We are working with the bowls club, our legal department and other park user groups to look at the detail of this request to find a suitable way forward.

"As a community council we are very supportive of ways of working closer with community groups to help run services."