Birmingham City Council have announced that Stirchley Indoor Bowls centre will close this coming March ahead of a move to a new purpose-built site in Billesley Common in autumn 2014.
Stirchley Indoor Bowls Centre’s current site at Hazelwell street.
The new Community Sports Hub at Billesley Common will include a six rink indoor bowls centre and will share facilities with Moseley Rugby Club.
However, ongoing funding for the activities in the new centre will not come from the council with a spokesperson saying: “There are no revenue consequences for Birmingham City Council.”
It is planned that all expenditure will be funded by income generated from: stand spectator fees, indoor bowls green fees, functions, events and community usage.
It is hoped the building will support the development of high level and grass roots sporting opportunities.
Selly Oak District Chair, Cllr Karen McCarthy, said: “This new facility is great news for local people, and I’m sure it will bring people who’ve not been active to join in the sports offered.
“We know being active has a real impact on health, particularly in the long term, so I’m delighted that two very different sports have come together on this site to secure the future of indoor bowls and to offer a range of activity to people in South Birmingham.”
The existing Birmingham Indoor Bowls Centre at Stirchley Community Centre has to close to make way for a new Tesco store to be built on the site.
Funds for the building of the new centre will come from a Sport England grant to Moseley Rugby Club, capital receipt for the Stirchley site’s sale to Tesco, and Section 106 money (money paid by developers to offset the costs of the external effects of development).
The Hub will be the responsibility of its tenants, leading to a newly established Community Sports Trust.
The City Council said: “A community stakeholder consultation on the plans for the Hub was conducted through the Billesley Ward Committee in 2013. The proposal was positively received by local residents, community sports groups and ward members.”
I’m sure it was well received in Billesley but not great news for people local to Bournville. All down to a Tesco that nobody really wants…but there you go…the council don’t care about the views of residents.