Brentwood bowls club member accuses council of ignoring smaller clubs, ahead of potential September closure
David Davies, a member at Hutton Poplars bowls club - Credit: Piers Meyler
A Brentwood bowls club fears it will be replaced with housing following a council notification that it will not be able to use its lodge beyond September.
Hutton Poplars bowls club will retain the use of the lodge on the corner of Rayleigh Road and Poplar Drive until the end of September, but will effectively have to close after that point because it will not be able to use facilities such as toilets or the kitchen.
Brentwood Borough Council said discussions with the club are ongoing “on options for their future operation”.
The bowls club will retain the use of the lodge until the end of September, though will not be able to use its facilities, such as toilets and kitchen, beyond that point - Credit: Piers Meyler
David Davies, a member of Hutton Poplars, accused the council of ignoring smaller clubs while continuing with multi-million-pound investments such as King George’s playing fields.
He said: “Where we are at the moment is our club will not be able to use the Lodge as from the end of September. Technically that means the end of the club.
“Why is it we can purchase the Baytree Centre and afford a development that is going to cost £100m? And then you look at our club – its beautiful setting and we know what they are going to do.
“My feeling is they’ll let it run down and then develop it.”
The Lodge is one of a handful of buildings that remains of the Hutton Poplars Recreational School dating from 1906.
The Lodge at Hutton Poplars bowls club - Credit: Piers Meyler
