Letter: Relocation by council is not a viable option

In my capacity as the secretary of a lawn bowls league in Ryedale and a committee member at Terrington Cliff Bowls Club near Malton, I have just received an email from a contact letting me know of the possibility that Scarborough Borough Council may sell off the South Cliff bowls green.

I understand that the green has been in existence for over 100 years and the centenary was celebrated in 2008.

The minutes of my own club show that we enjoyed several friendly games there in the period immediately after the Second World War - showing the importance of this site not only to the club which plays there, but to a wide range of other clubs from the surrounding area whose histories have overlapped with it over the years.

I understand that the club is growing and that other developments in the area will bring more people in their 50s and over into the area.

Bowls is a fantastic way of keeping people fit and healthy and hence less of a drain on local authority and health resources.

In many clubs you will find people in their 80s and beyond as active members.

It would be a very short-sighted move to destroy this facility.

Even if a new location is offered, I suspect the re-location will knock the stuffing out of the willing volunteers who run clubs such as this and the facility will be diminished or lost.

This green is one of Scarborough’s heritage assets as well as providing an open space in a built up area. It would be wrong to destroy it.

Elaine Gathercole

Hill Croft

York