Bowls club outraged by council actions

A village bowls club has been in dispute with their parish council after a gate for their club was locked.

Southery Parish Council padlocked the gate after the club used machinery to refurbish the clubhouse without permission.

David Starling, chairman of the club, said: “This is a bowls club of about 30 to 35 people and we are absolutely disgusted. There was no notice whatsoever.

“They have been so over the top about it because it was a tiny piece of damage caused when unloading the wood.”

A forklift teleporter was used during the work.

Helen Richardson, the clerk of the parish council, said the gate was not locked because of the damage but due to concern for the health and safety of the public using the playing field next to the club.

“We can’t have machinery going in and out without any notice,” she said.

“We have now given them the code for the lock after a councillor was approached by some of them in a shop about the issue and felt isolated.”

She added that while the gate was locked, bowls members could still access the club via the playing field.

This required “walking a car’s length”.

A meeting will be held in April by the council to discuss the issue with the bowls club, who have been notified about this.

Mr Starling said the bowls club have been taking equipment onto the green for over 60 years to repair the grass, including a tractor and trailer.

“I would like to settle the difference but I do not know if they will,” he said.

“Will they make an apology for the trouble they caused us? They are in favour of keeping all the sports clubs in the village but this was one way of stopping us.

“As soon as they locked the gate we were so upset by it. One of the councillor’s fathers used to park by the side and watch the bowls.”