Leeds bowlers facing rise in season ticket fee as council proposes doubling cost after closure fears
Bowlers in Leeds could be charged more than double for a season ticket from April under plans from Leeds City Council.
The proposal, that would see the yearly price rise from £45 to £90, comes as the authority said it wants to “safeguard the long-term local future of the sport”.
The council also wants to set membership targets for individual clubs - and penalise those that do not meet the targets by charging them for the shortfall in membership revenue - as part of a swathe of proposed measures.
In an earlier proposal at the start of the year, bowlers were up in arms when the authority unveiled plans to shut down 30 of their beloved greens across the city.
But after members expressed anger and frustration, council bosses said they would continue to maintain all of its crown green bowling facilities until the end of the sport’s summer season.
The council’s latest proposals include:
- Raising the cost of an adult full-year season ticket from £45 to £90 from the start of April 2025.
- Setting clubs a target of having at least 20 adult full-year season ticket holders per summer green by the end of September this year.
- Requiring any clubs that are unable to meet that target to make up the resulting shortfall in season ticket revenue themselves.
- Setting clubs a target of having at least 26 adult full-year season ticket holders per summer green by the end of September 2028.
- Requiring clubs to cover their own electricity and water costs, the vast majority of which are currently paid by the council.
- Exploring ways - such as a community asset transfer - in which some clubs could, if they wish to do so, operate independently of the council on a self-sustaining basis.
Coun Stewart Golton, the leader of the Lib Dems in Leeds, has previously said that it would be “absolutely counterproductive” to close crown green bowling sites and has met with members to discuss their future.
Responding to the latest proposals, he said: “It feels like the council is trying to repackage the ultimatum it already gave the clubs by making out like they’re offering something new - but they’re not. Effectively, it is though they are shifting the blame for potential closures on to members themselves.
“The members were already dismayed because it felt to them that the council is not listening.”
The council has said that the new measures would generate savings and additional revenue for the council, but could also “increase participation in the sport by placing an onus on bowling clubs to recruit new players”.
Figures for the latest season show that across the city’s 47 clubs, there are a total of 1,184 adult full-year season ticket holders.
A decision on whether to press ahead with the measures is not expected until March 20 at the earliest.
According to the authority, a consultation on price rises showed that almost half of respondents would be prepared to pay between £50 and £99 for a season ticket. Thirty-five per cent, meanwhile, said they would be prepared to pay more than £100, and 15 per cent were prepared to pay more than £150.
The consultation also showed that, if usage figures for 2024 were replicated, 14 of the city’s 47 clubs would not meet the new ’20 per green’ target for season tickets.
Most clubs currently contribute a token annual amount of £50 each towards utility costs, with the council covering the rest of a combined bill that this year is expected to be between £40,000 and £60,000.
Under the revised plan, clubs would have to pay their full electricity costs from 2025/26 onwards and full water costs from 2026/27 onwards.
Coun Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: “The council has been clear that, given the severity of the financial challenges it is currently facing, significant savings need to be made across a whole range of service areas.
“Equally, however, we have stressed that decisions on how such savings can be achieved will take full account of the needs and views of local people.
“This has been our approach since we first announced that changes were being planned to Leeds’ crown green bowling provision.
“The recent public consultation underlined the important contribution that bowling makes to life in many of the city’s communities, and has helped us shape our revised proposals.
“We will now continue to engage with clubs and players as we seek to deliver a more secure financial future for the sport in Leeds.”