Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
‘Insulting to Yiewsley’
OUTRAGED residents in Yiewsley say dismantling their bowls clubhouse and taking it to nearby Sipson to be used as football changing rooms is an ‘insult’ and are demanding it is kept and refurbished to be used by the community.
But Hillingdon Council says the building is ‘surplus to requirements’ and that it plans to build houses along with leisure facilities on the site.
On Monday June 11 a heartfelt petition was debated which was complied by Yiewsley Park and Community Group and presented to Hillingdon Council demanding it does not remove the former clubhouse of the Yiewsley and West Drayton Bowls Club.
The council plans to move it to Sipson Recreation Ground, where the council says it is needed for use by the West Drayton Explorers, who are currently using a metal container as a changing room.
It says the former clubhouse has been shut since 2015 after the club decided to hand it back to the council as it could not keep the clubhouse open due to low membership.
But 395 aggrieved residents handed their petition to the council on April 20 and it was considered by the council’s cabinet member for finance, on Monday.
It is part of their ongoing battle to save parts of Yiewsley Recreation Ground from developments.
Their petition reads: “We the undersigned, petition Hillingdon Council to retain and upgrade the bowls hut for use by Yiewsley residents and community groups.
“The bowling green and hut is a Yiewsley facility, needed, wanted and with residents ready to use. If the council is true to the tag line putting residents first, then please do.
“Bowls or boules can be played by any age. It is a gentle sport. The hut would be also used by a youth football club that currently have to travel to other wards to practise.
“The proposal to take away a facility for another ward is insulting to them and Yiewsley.”
The campaigners say the bowls hut has been a feature of the recreation ground since 1929 when the first bowls club was formed and a youth football club in Yiewsley, and other community groups, want to make use of it.
But on Monday, the council’s cabinet member for finance, Jonathan Bianco, refused to accept their case and rejected calls for consultation.
A report prepared by council officers, states the council has invested in the rebuilding of facilities used by three local bowls clubs, Deanes Park, Bessingby and Cowley, as well as providing a new car park for Hayes Bowls Club.
It says: “The council has committed funds in the last five financial years to rebuild or refurbish bowls club facilities across the borough.
“Yiewsley and West Drayton Bowls Club would have been offered the same opportunity. However, due to lack of membership and local community interest, the bowls club was unable to remain open.”
It adds: “There is a huge increase in youth football across the breadth of the borough. This has resulted in surges in attendance at local football clubs at weekends in particular, with some clubs having up to 300 to 400 young people playing football throughout their age groups.
“As part of the wider proposed Yiewsley development site options appraisal, the former Yiewsley Bowls Club building was considered surplus to requirements.
“West Drayton Explorers Football Club were the nearest club to Yiewsley requesting support to develop a new club house.”
The council says it is working on plans to develop housing and supported housing along with leisure facilities at the former bowls club site, and there are developments planned for other sites in Yiewsley including Yiewsley Library and its adjoining car park, and the former Yiewsley pool site.
Consultation will take place as part of the planning application process.