Stoke-on-trent sport and physical activity strategy 2009-2016

Outdoor BowlsIntroduction317. <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent has traditionally had a strong involvement in crown greenbowling, and there are bowls greens spread across the City with variousownerships. Although demand appears to have fallen in recent years this maybe due in large part to the quality of the facilities on offer, rather than an inherentdecline in interest. In fact, with the aging population in <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent, this is theone sport which should see a major increase in demand, even without sportdevelopment initiatives to encourage more people to play. The main challenge isto improve the stock of greens and to ensure that they are fully attractive to olderpeople.318. The same age groups play outdoor bowls as indoor bowls, so the same issuesapply in relation to the demand forecast. The City Council has undertaken someadditional research in relation to the demand, use and issues associated with theCity Council managed sites and the findings have been used to inform thissection.Current provision319. There are currently 46 greens in the City on 35 sites, giving a provision per 1000population of 0.19 greens. These are listed in Figure 36.320. A survey to assess quality was undertaken during spring 2008 which raised thefollowing issues:• Most sites are ‘adequate’ in terms of their quality;• The greens that scored the highest quality scores are located within privateclubs. The following sites were rated highly:o Fegg Hayes Sports and Social Clubo Burslem Cricket Club and Bowling Greeno Florence Tennis and Bowling Club• The greens in public parks and recreation grounds generally received thelowest scores, with their condition proving to be an issue;• The greens at the following sites are amongst the poorest in the City:o Dunrobin Hotel Bowling Greeno Hanley ParkNortoft Partnerships Ltd <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent Page | 211Sport & Physical Activity Strategy 2009-2016October 2009