BOWLERS in Hyndburn are ‘up in arms’ over proposals to add an annual charge for using greens.

It was announced at Hyndburn’s Crown Green bowling league annual general meeting earlier this month that the council are looking to add a charge to every person using the greens in the Hyndburn district.

The council estimates the annual pass would cost £55 to £60 and would cover costs of the game hit by government cuts.

The chairman of Oak Hill Park Veterans bowling club said that the ‘huge’ sum of money could isolate pensioners who play the sport.

Mike Dickinson, 67, from Accrington, said: “Everyone gasped in disbelief at the meeting when they announced the proposals.

“It’s a huge sum of money for pensioners to come up with.

“If the proposal goes through it will rob many senior citizens of one of the few pleasures they have in later life.

“This is a ludicrous proposal and one that may well damage the game in Hyndburn irreversibly if it should go ahead.”

Mr Dickinson hopes that the council will rethink the plans for the league which has been going fore more than 100 years.

The motion will be proposed to cabinet at a meeting early next year with a view to the charges being implemented ahead of the next bowls season in spring 2017.

Cllr Ken Moss, the cabinet portfolio holder for education arts and leisure, defended the proposals by saying how all sports will have to make adjustment due to government cuts.

He said: “Everywhere is feeling the government subsidies. We need to make everything cost manageable or otherwise we could lose the service.

“Crown green bowling is the only sport not paying for the service. It costs £40,000 a year to run services and we need recoup costs somehow.

“For the cost they can use any park at any time in Hyndburn.

“It’s an annual cost for bowling, and it’s just less than two individual football matches.”