‘We’re not leaving’ says indoor bowls director as club’s future in limbo

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🥊 The fight to keep an indoor bowls facility in Gedling up and running continues after a legal challenge on the club's lease

The fight to keep an indoor bowls facility in Gedling up and running continues after a legal challenge on the club’s lease.

Gedling Indoor Bowls Club’s future has been left in limbo since September 2025 after Gedling Borough Council decided to no longer include it in plans for a new leisure centre in Carlton.

The ‘Carlton Active’ project would involve both the Carlton Forum and Richard Herrod leisure centres being knocked down to create a new centre built on the Richard Herrod site and could include an eight-lane swimming pool and teaching pool, a 100-station gym, community rooms and a café.

Members of the bowls club – which opened in 1987 and is based at the Richard Herrod Centre – have been protesting for months to safeguard the club’s future.

Despite the efforts, the council re-confirmed its stance to exclude the bowls from plans in February 2026 and this has remained unchanged despite Conservative councillors calling for the decision to be re-scrutinised earlier in March.

The authority’s reasons are down to “significant affordability, design and deliverability risks”, where including a bowls facility would result in the “highest-demand” facilities such as the swimming pool or gym being removed or reduced.

It has maintained it is continuing its offer of “non-financial” support to the club to look for relocation options.

Now, the bowls club says it will not be vacating its base when its lease expires on April 30, 2026, after putting in a legal challenge to the council on the grounds of ‘security of tenure’.

Speaking to the local democracy reporting service (LDRS), Ian Summerscales, a director at the club, said: “We’ve taken legal advice, we’ve got what’s called a security of tenure and our solicitors have written to the council advising them we won’t be leaving on April 30.

“Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 we have a statutory right to remain in occupation beyond that date, until properly determined by the Act.”

Security of tenure falls under the 1954 act and can provide stability for commercial tenants, giving them the right to remain in a premises after a lease comes to an end and the right to a new lease similar to the previous one unless a landlord has valid grounds to oppose this.

The council confirmed to the LDRS it had received legal correspondence from the club and that it was currently being reviewed but said “it would not be appropriate to comment on the detail at this stage”.

Mr Summerscales says the club has had “no movement” in the council’s help to find it a new realistic location or a response to its concerns over the council’s feasibility study that it wrote to the council leader.

He said: “The lowest [relocation] option was around £2 million to £3 million – that would be to take over an industrial unit, refurbish it and then cover the cost for rent, electricity.

“We have a feeling there must be a cheaper alternative out there. At the moment we haven’t been able to identify anything ourselves – we believe the council should be obliged to find us something else.”

Despite members being “devastated” at the prospect a solid club base is dwindling, Mr Summerscales says members are keeping in good spirits.

He said: “We had a meeting with all our members and lots of people who use the centre… the mood at the meeting was quite positive, people are keen to still come and play and they’re happy for us to continue along these lines.

“We are looking at some other options, we want to retain our identity as a club, we won’t be winding up the company.”

A council spokesperson said: “Officers are continuing to explore potential options and work is ongoing. The council remains committed to supporting the club and will continue to provide updates through the appropriate governance processes.

 “The council has received [feasibility concern] correspondence from the club and officers have been considering the matters raised. Engagement with the club has been ongoing throughout the process and will continue.

“We recognise the strength of feeling from Gedling Indoor Bowls Club and remain committed to working constructively with members as the Carlton Active project progresses.”

The bowls club has more than 300 members aged between 25 and 92 and runs around 2,200 sessions each month, including for bowlers with disabilities.

Two petitions have been set up since September to save the club in council plans, with one having more than 1,000 signatures.

Earlier council documents said both existing leisure centres faced more than £2 million in backlog works and require a yearly subsidy of around £545,000. The new wider project is currently estimated to cost just under £30 million.

Lauren Monaghan
(Local Democracy Reporter)

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🌤️ Weather: A cold start to the day with frost. It will be clear and sunny through the morning with a gentle breeze. Becoming increasingly cloudy through the afternoon, though likely remaining dry. Feeling mild. A cloudy night tonight with a strengthening wind. Outbreaks of rain will turn heavy and persistent toward dawn. Minimum temperature 2 °C.

Friday will be cloudy with rain, sometimes heavy through much of the day. Rain clearing to dry spells by the end of the afternoon and early evening. Dry and clear overnight.

🚍 New Pathfinder Buses Take to the Road with Improved Accessibility and Scenic Route Livery

Passengers travelling between Nottingham and Southwell on Nottingham City Transport’s (NCT) Pathfinder 26 service, are now enjoying a luxurious upgrade, following the introduction of brand new, high quality double decker buses.

The six new buses include free Wi-Fi, USB charging points, improved seating and a table on the upper deck. Accessibility features include an extra wheelchair bay – making these the first buses in Nottingham with two wheelchair bays – as well as hearing loops and next stop audio and visual announcements to help ensure the buses are easier to use for all customers. 

The buses boast a bespoke exterior livery celebrating the scenic route travelled by the Pathfinder 26 service. The artwork reflects landmarks and landscapes along the route between Nottingham, Burton Joyce, Lowdham and Southwell, highlighting the countryside and heritage of the communities the service connects. Landmarks such as Southwell Minster, Brackenhurst Campus and views of the River Trent are among those reflected in the design.

Meeting stricter emission limits than the 2014-built buses they replaced, the six next generation StreetDeck Ultroliner buses are Ultra-Low Emission Bus (ULEB) accredited, with an 80% decrease in NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) emissions and lower particulate matter (PM) emissions.

Anthony Carver-Smith, Head of Marketing and Projects at NCT said: “The feedback so far from customers has been very positive, with the addition of a table, comfier seats and a second wheelchair bay particularly popular”.

What's on at Bonington

Deptford Northern Soul Club are childhood friends, Will Foot and Lewis Henderson, whose early love of soul developed after discovering Lewis’ dad’s record collection. After finally bringing their musical heritage to the forefront with their debut DJ set at Deptford’s bunker club 6 years ago, they have since taken their credible and unique club night around the UK, performing at the likes of Glastonbury Festival and Green Man, alongside residencies at Manchester’s YES and London’s Moth Club.

Whether behind a turntable, dancing out front or in discussion, their sheer love and passion for soul is infectious, as is the spark of friendship and mutual musical appreciation between the two of them. 31-years-old but with old heads on their sharply dressed young shoulders, they have emerged as the new face of Northern soul, Bringing the movement back into the conversation of modern dance music.

They play Bonington Theatre on Saturday, April 18 from 5pm.

Tickets are on sale HERE