A bowls club that was given a curfew by planners has now been granted permission to resume its usual evening playing hours.
Rottingdean Bowling Club said that the restriction would prevent members from taking part in the sport’s traditional evening fixtures.
The club has leased its clubhouse and premises from the council and is now modernising the facilities – but when its plans were approved earlier this year, an 8pm finish was slipped in among the planning conditions.
Councillors were asked to revise the times at a meeting at Hove Town Hall this afternoon (Wednesday 6 September) along with some other relatively minor changes to the current arrangements.
They voted in favour of a 10pm finish time but rejected changes to the soundproofing, cycle parking and tree protection requirements.
One of the club’s neighbours, Gillian Chapman, addressed Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee today, spelling out her objections to the latest application.
She said: “We request a finishing time to be stipulated for indoor activities to mitigate late evening noise disturbance, given that the main clubhouse adjoins Challoners Mews barns and their bedrooms.
“These will be taking place outside of April to October and will be going on throughout the year.”
She wanted finishing times of 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm on other days of the week.
A council official read out a statement on behalf of the club saying that it was going beyond the requirements for soundproofing walls and removing electric hand-dryers from the toilets.
The club unsuccessfully applied for a requirement for extra cycle parking to be scrapped because the club already had enough spaces in two locations, including covered storage.
The statement said: “Club members are mainly of pensionable age and, of the approximate 100 members, two are known to use cycles on a regular basis.
“The groundsman who sets out the green each morning arrives at approximately 8am and leaves shortly after on a cycle.
“The minimum number of 10 cycle racks takes no account of current use nor likely future use and is not required by the club membership.”
Labour councillor Tobias Sheard asked about public transport and was told that the 2A bus passed the club in Falmer Road.
Green councillor Sue Shanks said: “One of the things bowls clubs usually complain about is that they haven’t got younger members.
“By trying to encourage people to come who perhaps don’t have a car or don’t drive is a good thing.”
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald said: “A lot of bowling clubs have closed down so I’m pleased there’s one thriving and refurbishing.”
Labour councillor Les Hamilton said: “Bowls matches will often go on for more than two hours so I wouldn’t want it to be a case where they could play at six but have to stop at eight.
“That wouldn’t be viable, I don’t think. I’m glad that’s been amended.”
The committee voted unanimously in favour of the later operating hours.
I really cannot imagine a lawn bowls club causing a nuisance after 8pm in the lighter evenings of summer.
Has anyone ever told cllr Shanks that the best option is to probably not say anything, for want of not looking like a fool?
Counsellor Shanks obviously knows very little about bowls otherwise she would know that trying to cycle with a bowls bag could possibly be suicidal.
John
This is a shocking decision. Bowling clubs are notorious for being full of massive Ragers, who cane it at the slightest opportunity.
I fear for the future of Rottingdean if these people are allowed to stay up until 10pm.