Jersey Bowls Club, which was established in 1912, faces the loss of its home at Westmount to make way for the proposed access route to the Island’s new hospital at Overdale, and efforts to find a suitable alternative site have so far failed.
Greg Davis, president of Bowls Jersey, said he was concerned that some players may give up the game, damaging the Island’s standing as a significant player on the world bowls stage.
In a letter to the JEP, Mr Davis points out that Jersey is ninth in the men’s world rankings, competing against all the leading nations and hosting international matches that brought prestige and visitor revenue to the Island.
The role of bowls in helping many Islanders stay physically and socially active is also highlighted in the letter.
Mr Davis has called for greater urgency towards finding a solution from three politicians: Deputy Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham, who is leading the hospital project, Deputy Hugh Raymond, the Assistant Economic Development Minister with responsibility for sport, and St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft.
Deputy Raymond, who said in February that he was optimistic about the prospects for Jersey Bowls Club to move to Warwick Farm, admitted that this option no longer appeared feasible.
He said: ‘I am totally supportive of the bowls club, and it is something I raise at every meeting of the Hospital Oversight Group – we have to look after them.
‘The club wants to stay in or around St Helier and there have been discussions with landowners about other sites, but they have yet to move that far further forward.’
Deputy Raymond said he anticipated that it was likely the club would be able to stay at Westmount until the end of the 2022 season.
Mr Crowcroft said the States Assembly had supported him in demanding that an alternative location must be found for the club, and confirmed that his position had not changed.
The situation was described as ‘desperately disappointing’ by the politician who held responsibility for sport until last November, Senator Steve Pallett.
He said: ‘It’s disgraceful if this access route is rail-roaded through before a new location [for the bowls club] is confirmed.
‘I’m worried it will be like the go-kart club at Les Quennevais all those years ago, where the government promised the earth in terms of new facilities but delivered nothing for more than 20 years.’
Letters: Page 13 of Saturday’s (3 June) JEP.
