Bowling club in plan to sell off land

Bowlers will find out next month if their cash-strapped club in Bilston will be able sell off their green to raise cash to repair a dilapidated club house.

Bilston Town Bowling Club is hoping to sell off a practice green to private developers so it can afford to do up the club house, which is in danger of failing fire safety checks.

Council planners will meet on June 24 to decide whether or not to grant permission for five bungalows on land which it owns in Villiers Avenue.

But the creation of the homes would mean the loss of the 110-year-old club's practice green, which would be replaced by a synthetic green elsewhere in the club's grounds.

The new semi-detached and detached homes would front Eleanor Road.

Councillors were poised to approve the application when the planning committee met last week but the matter had to be put back for more information.

But Bilston North Councillor Phil Page says he fears a synthetic pitch would put off bowls enthusiasts from using the club. They are going to build properties on one of the greens and replace it with a plastic green," he said.

"No serious bowler will want to use a plastic green.

"The bowling club is important in Bilston as a recreational facility but they want to dig up one of the greens to build houses on it."

Roger Dale, chairman of the club, said: "We need to sell the land so we can break even and keep the club going. We can't have a club without the club house."

The application has been earmarked for approval providing the bowling club enters into an agreement that money raised from the sale of the land will be ploughed back into its facilities. The timescale of the work to improve the club house will have to be agreed with Wolverhampton City Council.

A report to council planners stated that 12 objections to the plans had been received by the local authority.

Objectors fear the synthetic green would be useless to bowlers and also complain the greens have been left to become overgrown. Protesters also say the new bungalows will lead to traffic problems in Eleanor Road.