Council set to hand over bowling greens to two community clubs

Two more bowls clubs in Caerphilly County Borough are likely to be handed over to community groups as the council looks to further trim its spending.

The local authority has expanded its use of Community Asset Transfers (CATs), which allow groups to take over the running of some of its assets, such as sports pitches.

At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday May 21, members agreed in principle to part ways with bowling greens in Crosskeys and Pontymister.

“The cabinet has been clear that we want to support strong, capable community groups where they are willing to step forward, take responsibility and help protect valued local facilities for the future,” said Cllr Nigel George, the cabinet member for assets.

Calling the move “positive”, he told colleagues CATs provided “mutual” benefits in that community groups are “taking ownership of their future” and the council is cutting its costs.

The local authority has made no secret of its budget shortfalls and needs to find ways of saving millions of pounds every year to keep key services running.

This has meant cuts to some service areas, but in CATs decision-makers see a more sustainable way of saving money and retaining sports facilities across the borough by transferring their management to committed local groups.

Their proposal to use CATs to offset planned closures of some borough libraries, however, has been less well received by community campaigners – who argue it is the council’s job to provide them.

Bowls clubs have already been told they must pay for green maintenance, but backers of the CAT policy said handing clubs over to communities will open up new funding opportunities that they are currently excluded from.

Keiran Davies, from Crosskeys Welfare Bowls Club, told cabinet members he supported the plan for a 25-year lease of the green at Waunfawr Park.

He said the club was a “long-standing part of the fabric of the community” that provides “a place for people of all ages to come together, stay active and build friendships”.

The CAT proposal “is about securing the future and allowing us to grow” and gives the club the “stability we need to plan ahead and invest in the facility”, he added.

Cllr George said Pontymister Athletic Bowls Club is a “long-established club with deep roots in the local community”.

“The club seeks a 25-year lease, which will give it the security it needs to plan ahead, maintain the green, strengthen participation and pursue external funding opportunities,” he said.

“The proposal before us relates to the bowling green only at this stage, with the clubhouse excluded and to be considered separately if a future proposal comes forward.”

The cabinet decision allows the council to carry out consultations, legal work and complete the final lease agreements for the two clubs.

In April, the cabinet backed a CAT agreement with the Morgan Jones Bowling Association in Caerphilly town.