COUNCILLORS have approved a bowling club’s plan to build a hall.
Gourock Park Bowling Club applied for permission to build the structure next to its pavilion. The hall will comprise a 95-square-metre multi-use area, kitchen, storage and changing facilities.
Planners recommended refusal because no additional parking is being provided but councillors today gave the go-ahead.
Architect Bruce Newlands, in a submission to the council on behalf of the club, had stated: “This proposal is to improve and replace the existing facilities on site rather than expand them.
“The new hall proposal has been developed in response to greater demand from existing members for winter activities (the new hall is sized to enable indoor bowls) and to provide more accessible changing facilities with integrated toilets for privacy, a fully accessible toilet and kitchen servery for the main hall – all of which they lack in the existing building.
“The applicant does not anticipate an increase in membership due to the proposed hall; membership numbers
are limited by the available bowling green space which remains unchanged.
“The club reports that they have never in 30-plus years received any complaints about parking in and
around the club.
“Refusal will effectively condemn the club to remain in a sub-standard council-owned clubhouse that doesn’t meet accessibility standards, has poor privacy standards and does not enable members to continue bowling practice during the winter months, damaging he group’s long term financial sustainability.”
