Anger over use of bowls green for cricket nets

THE founder of Goring Croquet Club says he is “enraged” that the village bowls green is to be turned into a cricket practice area.

Jim Bartlett was speaking after Goring Parish Council agreed the move on the casting vote of its
chairman.

He said: “In a crude word, I’m gutted. This bowls green has been here for many decades and to see it wiped out for cricket nets unnecessarily has caused a lot of public anger.”

Goring Cricket Club wants to convert the green in Gardiner recreation ground into a permanent practice area by erecting an enclosed net structure with three strips and removing the existing nets at the corner of the recreation ground.

The parish council approved the plans last year and gave permission for the bowls club, which has now disbanded due to declining membership, to continue using the green for up to two years.

The croquet club, which was founded by Mr Bartlett last year and has about 30 members, was to share the green with the bowls club.

The council confirmed its decision at a meeting last week despite opposition from residents who want the green to remain.

It also rejected the advice of its own consultant landscape architect that the green be retained for the use of the clubs.

Four councillors — Jim Emerson, Colin Ratcliff, Lawrie Reavill and Andrew Smith — voted to retain the green and four others — David Brooker, Sonia Lofthouse, Richard Osbourne and Bryan Urbick — voted to make the land available for the cricket club to use.

With the vote tied, Councillor Urbick used his casting vote as chairman to uphold the previous decision.

Mr Bartlett said he was “sad” about the decision, adding: “But much more than that, we were enraged because croquet offers the opportunity for older residents who are less active members of the community.

“We also planned to do a junior session on Saturdays this year so we have all ages.

“We offer two sports so I am very sad that these could be replaced or expunged for the reason that the cricket club wants new nets nearer the pavilion — that’s the only reasons they’ve given.

“We are absolutely hopping mad. There’s a huge public outcry. I think the village wasn’t aware until very recently just what was going on.”

He said villagers had contacted him to offer their support.

Mr Bartlett said: “We haven’t advertised for members, we haven’t done any recruitment, yet we have around 30 members after one year and this year I have already received about five requests, so we’re growing.

“We’re almost at capacity actually, which is pretty good because the space we take up is only three per cent of the field but supporting two sports. You can see why I’m angry.

“I’ve lived in the village for 53 years and it’s wonderful having croquet on our doorstep. The members are enthusiastic. We play all year round, seven days a week. We even play in the rain.

“There’s nowhere else for us to play. I have surveyed the village over the decades and there’s no other public space.”

He said he had reached out to the cricket club to try to reach a compromise but without success.

“They are a strong club and they’re doing well,” said Mr Bartlett. “They coach loads of children, perhaps most of whom don’t even live in the village, so they’re sort of bussed in for coaching, but pretty much all of my players are villagers. They walk from all the surrounding houses.”

Mr Bartlett claimed Cllr Urbick’s use of his casting vote at last week’s meeting was inappropriate.

He said: “We feel casting votes are for serious matters. Immediately before the vote, he made some outrageous statements. He said that we should play in gardens and would not give anybody a chance to refute those statements, including the councillors who were with us. You can’t play croquet as a sport in gardens, the terrain has to be the same as bowls.

“We have two courts at the green now — one is two thirds size and one is half size and that’s fine. We are a member of the Croquet Association and they have accepted and helped us establish.

“We could never play in back gardens as that’s just a fun thing. This is competitive, serious sport.”

He said the manager of the Lyndhurst residential care home, which overlooks the recreation ground, had reached out to ask if residents with dementia could play croquet and he had said “yes” if the club was able to remain on the green.

Mr Bartlett said: “It’s a great community thing. We have made so many friends within the group and passers-by look over the fence and chat with us.”

The next nearest croquet green is in Blewbury, about seven miles away. Mr Bartlett said that going there wouldn’t be feasible as many elderly people didn’t drive.

Councillor Jim Emerson had proposed that the final decision be postponed until after council elections in May.

Speaking in a personal capacity due to the forthcoming elections, he said: “I support the concept of new practice nets to help the thriving cricket club but I am not at all convinced that the incremental benefit to cricket of placing these nets on the old bowls green is very significant compared to placing them in the area of the current nets.

“Conversely, I think the damage caused by removing the ability to participate locally in croquet, and maybe one day bowls again, will be very significant. Worse still, this will leave no council provision in Goring for sport for the older generations.

“I appeal to cricket supporters to think about the wider community and their elders and compromise a little.”

Speaking in a personal capacity, Cllr Urbick said: “This was decided a year ago and the request for repeal at the last meeting got voted down.

“I used my casting vote, which is recommended when you look at legislation, but had I not, the decision would still have been held.

“When it was decided to convert the green there was no controversy.

“I called the Croquet Association and they told me croquet could be played in gardens, fields and other locations. If you do competitive croquet, you just need to tell people.

“The current cricket nets are not up to standard and apparently old bowling greens are perfect for nets. The bowls cub had trouble with membership and couldn’t get people interested.

“We have football, cricket, health walks and bridge so it is disingenuous to say there is nothing else for older people.

“There are lots of members of the cricket club, which has a waiting list and a real need for proper nets.

“Their plan B would be keeping the nets where they are currently which would double the size of the area used and create other issues, such as taking out a nearby garden. It is a conservation area as well, so there are other hurdles.”