ELDERLY bowlers fear they will lose their ‘lifeline’ as plans to transform an activity centre move forward.

Members of Cleator Moor Bowls Club are concerned for the future of the indoor bowling facility at Cleator Moor Activity Centre amid plans for a major upgrade of the venue.

A planning application has been lodged to refurbish the indoor bowls centre and provide an activity centre that ‘meets the needs of the local community’.

Under the plans put forward by the Cleator Moor Town Deal Board, the centre will deliver a broader programme of sports, physical activity and wider health and wellbeing services.

But members of Cleator Moor Bowls Club have opposed the scheme and previously filed a petition to keep indoor bowling within plans drawn up for expansion of the centre.

George Houghton, a member of the bowls club, said: “It’s absolutely disgusting what they are doing. Everybody is up in arms about it.

“They are going to throw over 100 senior citizens out of the place. A lot of them have lost their partners. What are they going to do?  Take these facilities away and West Cumberland Hospital will be chock-a-block.

“They said to us bowlers, don’t worry we’ll put you a carpet in. It’s like saying to swimmers, we are going to do away with the pool and put a paddling pool in.

“There’s all kinds of land around it. If they wanted to extend it, they could.

“Whenever we go to find out what is happening, we are hitting a brick wall.”

Club member Pauline Robinson said: “It’s my lifeline through the winter. If I don’t go, I’m stuck in the house all winter. We are going to be stuck indoors. Winter will be longer and longer.”

Mike Beaty, also a member of the club, said: “The proposals are a duplicate of what we already have in the area. I can’t see the point in duplicating those facilities and doing away with the one and only bowling facility we have.”

Bob Metcalfe, chair of the Cleator Moor Town Deal Board said: “Transformational plans are in place for Cleator Moor after the area’s Town Deal secured £22.5m from the Government's Towns Fund along with an additional £18.4m from match funders.

“Healthy Town is one of four projects that make up the Cleator Moor Town Deal and aims to provide the community with a modern, multi-purpose and inclusive sports facility at the Activity Centre.

“Healthy Town aims to enhance leisure provision in the town to boost levels of health and wellbeing and encourage more people to visit, bringing increased footfall and revenue to local businesses.

“It is proposed that the new centre would deliver a broader programme of sports, physical activity as well as providing a home to wider health and wellbeing services.

“It would also serve as a new base for Copeland Occupational and Service Centre (COSC) - a day centre for people with physical disabilities.

“During the development plans, there has been ongoing engagement with the existing users of the site. The future plans for the leisure facility include flexible spaces for undertaking a variety of activity including a long mat option to accommodate bowls in the off season.

“Whilst we appreciate that this is a change to the existing purpose built bowls rink, a compromise is sought so that a wider range of activity can be made available to the adults and children in local community.”