Fylde coast's only indoor bowling club will not reopen after lockdown

The Newton Hall Bowling Centre, on Staining Road, Blackpool, closed its doors in March when the country went into lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Bowlers were looking forward to getting back to the green as businesses began to open back up.

But they were dismayed to discover that the bowling club would not be among them.

Partingtons Holiday Parks, which owns the old hall, said the closure was due to a fall in both income and club membership.

Jason Norris, 48, who has been a member of the bowling club for five years, said: “We were very disappointed. It came as quite a shock. There aren’t many indoor bowling greens in the North West. The closest ones now are in Penrith and Carlisle. Most of the players are from the Blackpool area, so for them to travel an hour and a half just for a game of bowls is probably not doable.”

Jane Molyneux, marketing director at Partingtons, said: “Our membership is decreasing and we have had people calling up saying they will not be returning at the end of the year. It’s just not viable and so we have taken the difficult decision to close the centre. It’s not a decision we have taken lightly.

"A fundraiser isn't going to give the centre sustainability going forward as a club, which is quite a difficult pill to swallow because the club is very precious."

She said the building would probably be used for another leisure-related activity moving forward, and that all the staff currently working at the bowling centre would be able to keep their jobs.

THE NEWTON HALL BOWLING CENTRE

The bowling centre was founded by the Partington family in 1985. It was expanded in 1996, giving it a total of seven rinks.

It hosted the Co-operative Funeral Care International Open competition from 2013 until 2017, which was broadcast live on Sky Sports each year.

It was the biggest national bowling centre in Lancashire.