Bowls club move sparks protest
by JOHN DOWLING
Published: 16 January 2003
WORRIED neighbours campaigning to save the last open space between Galley Hill and the park are calling a public meeting.
They are opposing a proposal by Gullivers Bowling Club to sell its Knole Road site for development with flats and houses in order to fund the long-planned move to build a new headquarters at Turkey Road.
David Adams, Brian Hazell and Dru Tramaseur have called a public meeting for 7pm next Thursday (January 23rd 2003) at The Mermaid.
They say the Knole Road site has historically been open space. It was a croquet court at the turn of the 20th century. Local benefactor Charles Gulliver opened a bowling club there in 1952, his son Clifford transferring the freehold of the land and building to the club in 1971.
David Adams said: "We are an informal group of local residents at the moment. We have set up a sub-committee. We are inviting people to a public meeting at The Mermaid to encourage nearby residents - and members of the Bexhill community - to write to the councillors and the council about this application. The key thing we want to get over is our united opposition to this plan. The meeting will be at 7pm but we will be available from 4pm to meet people, show them the plan and discuss their part in what we are doing."
The application to Rother Planning Committee is for a ten 2-bedded properties on the north side of the 1.5 acre site, six 4-bedroomed properties on the west and 18 apartments on the south, fronting Knole Road. A new access from Knole Road would lead to the development, which would include private gardens.
In a circular letter to neighbours, the objectors say:
· The site is historically an important open green amenity space and such amenities have a unique role in town life.
· Occupiers bought surrounding properties would not have done so had the bowling green not been there.
· Relocation of the bowling green to the outskirts of town would lead to loss of membership for the club.
· Introduction of more than 30 new homes would “create excessive nuisance” to existing residents and the extra traffic would be a danger to all, especially the elderly.
· The proposal is too dense and is environmentally unfriendly.
· Most of the site is “back-land development” and would cause “demonstrable harm” to properties.
· The area should remain a local sporting facility for the town and once developed would be lost for all time.
Brian Hazell said “The club have an option on a piece of land in Turkey Road near the cemetery. I understand the option was taken up last year. It means they would have the whole of the bowls club on the outskirts of town. What I suggest is that they use the land at Turkey Road for housing development and plough the money into the improvement of the Knole Road facilities. This would be in line with Rother’s plan for the development of north Bexhill”.
David Adams said: “For the reasons we have given, there is considerable local opposition to this plan. We are trying to ensure that our opposition is as professionally based as we can. We are trying our utmost to maximise everyone’s opportunity to be involved and we plan to set up a committee as a result of the public meeting to take the matter forward”.