MP congratulates young bowlers on their academy success as Bromborough Bowl owners announce location of new centre

Oct 19 2011 by Lorna Hughes, Bromborough and Bebington News

THE owners of Bromborough’s closure-threatened bowling alley have unveiled plans for a new centre.

In May the owners of Croft Retail Park announced plans for a £7m redevelopment of the park’s leisure area, which would see The Bowl replaced by non-food “bulky goods retail space” and the Odeon cinema upgraded but made smaller.

The proposals prompted noisy protests by young bowlers and representatives from disabled bowling groups.

The Bowl co-owners Stuart Jaap and Trevor Green have now applied for planning permission which would allow them to move into a 15,000sq ft site on Bassendale Road.

Mr Japp said: “The new site in Bromborough, only a few minutes’ walk from where we are now, will enable us to continue to serve our existing customers, from whom we have had fantastic support.

“I would like to thank Wirral South MP Alison McGovern for her help in getting us to this point and the Park’s owners, Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd (USS), for their co-operation.”

The premises on Bassendale Road, which have been vacant for several years, are owned by Space Northwest.

Planning permission for change of use from industrial to leisure is required before The Bowl can move.

USS’s proposals for the leisure area of the Croft would see a new, modern frontage for the Odeon and dedicated foyer.

If planning permission is granted, part of the existing cinema would become a family restaurant.

USS says this would create 65 new, full-time equivalent jobs.

JUNIOR bowlers from Bromborough have been invited to join a prestigious national training academy for the sport’s rising stars.

Bromborough Young Bowling Club members Joshua Clarke, Jake Edwards, Alex Finnigan, Katie Finnigan, Louise Jones, Jack Lawton and Yvette Parrott will all attend the first year of the NAYBC Team England Academy, which has a three-year training curriculum.

They will join fellow club members Jake D’Arcy, Natasha English and Kelly Jones who are already part of the academy.