Cllr. Lamberts statement, which he originally only posted on Facebook."The CIC is a not for profit company - any income is put back into maintaining or improving the park and its facilities. As I understand it the bowls club has been wound up by the members/committee. I'm told it had 22 members of whom 12 were active. They maintained the green themselves with some help from Capel Manor and their lease called for them to maintain the clubhouse, however the CIC stepped in to do so at times at a cost of around £2K per annum. The club were encouraged to grow membership but this was not achieved. As I understand it they believed that membership would grow after the delayed sports hub was completed but the development is many months late. At present, the state of the bowling green is poor (I took this picture a couple of weeks ago), access is restricted because of the continuing works to the sports hub building and sports fields, there would have to be a deep clean of the clubhouse and facilities for COVID, there is no remaining club and the equipment to maintain the green has been sold. Most of the bowlers have either moved on to other clubs (there's one in Ealing Borough within a mile I think) or retired and it's not clear there would be anyone to fix the green even if equipment could be sourced. The CIC is supposed to grow use of the park and the proposed pitch and putt course (currently not happening) was mooted to attract 30,000 players per year. I have gleaned this from correspondence and telephone calls with the CIC management and some of the trustees, and one of the former club members. As far a I can see everybody has accepted, albeit with regrets, that the club cannot be revived".
N V Brooks ● 2288d