Exhibition and Brandling Park Community Trust (EBPCT) has been chosen by Newcastle City Council to develop plans for taking over Brandling Park bowling green at the end of Clayton Road in Jesmond. The trust is now creating a business plan in support of its proposal before presenting it to the council and the shadow board of the new Newcastle Parks Trust for consideration.

Councillor Kim McGuinness, cabinet member for culture, sport and public health, said the bowling green and pavilions provided a unique opportunity to create a “modern, vibrant space for residents and visitors”.

Brandling Park Bowling Green and Pavilions.

The announcement comes a year after the green and pavilions were closed due to the Brandling Park Bowling Club’s dwindling membership and the withdrawal of support from the council. The club had been active for 138 years and some residents had hoped that the club could be saved.

Peter Wardle was one of the applicants hoping to save the bowling club. “It’s a heritage site with a long, proud record providing a sporting and social facility for the residents of Jesmond,” he told JesmondLocal.

Wardle, along with the Brandling Park Residents Association, had circulated a petition to save the club and committing to maintain and renovate the green at their own expense. The petition gather more than 100 signatures, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Wardle subsequently submitted a bid, along with three other candidates to take over Brandling Park Bowling Green.

“We were invited by the council to submit an expression of interest, which we did, with the aim of re-establishing the bowling green and renovating the two pavilions. We proposed joining them together, to increase the usable floor area, to install modern facilities and include a small tea room. We hoped to provide not only the bowling facility but a wider community centre and rename it Brandling Park Bowling and Social Club,” he said.

This bid, however, was beaten by one from the EBPCT, whose proposal “matches our ambition to transform the space into something that can provide community-focused activities whilst retaining the importance of this much-loved site,” said councillor McGuinness.

The successful applicant says it is now hoping to work closely with the other interested parties to deliver a varied package of activities. According to Wardle, the EBPCT has been in touch, but he says that “at this stage we do not think that the EBPCT is interested in saving the bowling green”.