An historic bowls club could face extinction after a council unveiled an increase in parking charges of more than 2000 per cent.
Eastbourne Parade Bowls Club was formed in 1897 and has welcomed thousands of members onto its seafront greens.
But its future is in jeopardy after the cash-strapped council announced plans to increase parking charges across the resort.
Under new proposals a parking permit at the car park adjacent to the club would rise from £40 a year to a staggering £840 – a rise of 2,100 per cent.
The council announced the proposals into a new parking permit scheme for the whole resort and say it would ‘bring parking arrangements in line with other councils’.
But bowls players are furious and say the new charges – which are currently out for consultation – would mean dozens of pensioners would be unable to afford to play.
Gill Waters, club secretary, said: ‘It this goes ahead then it would be catastrophic for this historic club.
‘For many, many members playing bowls is both a factor in physical and mental health wellbeing, something that we fear has been overlooked by the local council in this.
Under new proposals a parking permit at the car park adjacent to the club would rise from £40 a year to a staggering £840 – a rise of 2,100 per cent
The council announced the proposals into a new parking permit scheme for the whole resort and say it would ‘bring parking arrangements in line with other councils’
‘For many members their friends and social life is at the club and those who have been coming here for decades would not longer be able to afford do so.’
The oldest member is Tom Spencer, 94, who has been a member for 16 years and a bowls player for more than 30 years.
He lost his wife, Elizabeth, four years ago and says the increase in the annual permit fee would be ‘disastrous’ for him.
‘Quite frankly, the bowls club is my life,’ he said: ‘Without it I simply don’t know what I’d do. All my friends are here and it would be impossible on my modest pension to afford the parking.
‘I live quite a distance away – it would take me two bus journeys just to get here and at my age it would be impossible to carry my woods on the bus and then carry them to the club.’
Mr Spencer, who used to work for a bakery, said: ‘It would be disastrous for me. It’s very, very upsetting. I think the council needs to think again about the plans. They should be amended.’
Long-time player Jim Stewart said: ‘The enormous rise would simply make it unfeasible for me to carry on playing.’
Peter Hensman, club captain said: ‘Increasing the parking permit from £40 a year to a massive £840 is morally wrong. We understand there needs to be a rise but this is far too high.
Eastbourne Parade Bowls Club was formed in 1897 and has welcomed thousands of members onto its seafront greens
‘It would make bowls far too expensive for the majority of members and would lead to many being forced to quit the club.’
He added: ‘Without members the club would have to close bringing to an end a long, long tradition. It would be a huge shame.’
Mrs Waters said: ‘With the rising costs of gas and electric, petrol and food, many pensioners are already feeling the squeeze and are making cut-backs but this would be disastrous.
‘We as a bowls club now fear for our membership as most of our members are of retirement age, and this price hike could make playing bowls a thing of the past for some in the current economic climate.
‘I think the club could lose an untold number of members and, as we depend on annual membership fees to run the club, that would make running it impossible.’
The club was launched in 1897 but has been bowling at their seafront home since 1904.
The original clubhouse, with its thatched roof, was bombed and destroyed by the German Luftwaffe in the Second World War.
It has up to 70 members and is entirely reliant on club membership fees and passing trade to keep running.
Historically members have always used the council-owned car park which lies adjacent to the clubhouse
Historically members have always used the council-owned car park which lies adjacent to the clubhouse.
Bowlers could apply for a reduced-rate parking permit which would allow them to use the car park for £40 a year.
But that permit is being withdrawn and replaced with an annual permit costing £840. That fee increases to £924 if paid monthly.
It is not the only bowls club affected as the Royal Sovereign – which is also on the seafront – is similarly affected.
The authority has long-cited the ‘unprecedented’ costs of homelessness and temporary accommodation as the reason for its financial strain.
A spokesperson for Eastbourne Borough Council said: ‘For nearly 30 years, the council has subsidised parking in council-owned car parks and other parking areas, but with the funding for public services in Eastbourne under the ‘greatest financial pressures in living memory,’ a new permit system is required.’
Cllr Colin Swansborough, Cabinet Member for Community Spaces, said: ‘Local authorities in the UK are undoubtedly experiencing the greatest financial pressures in living memory and we are having to make difficult decisions to ensure services can be maintained.
The reduced-rate parking permit is being withdrawn and replaced with an annual permit costing £840. That fee increases to £924 if paid monthly
‘Many other councils are closing facilities altogether, but we are doing all we can in Eastbourne to avoid that. One measure is to bring parking arrangements in line with other councils, while also remaining fair to residents and sustainable for council finances.’
But Mrs Waters of the Eastbourne Parade Bowls Club added: ‘We as a non-profit social bowls club find it rather insulting that the council seems able to cite homelessness as an excuse to raise parking charges.
‘We do not want free parking and accept that a small increase is appropriate, but not a 2,100 per cent inflation busting one.’
