Indoor bowlers will not be having a new base at Rastrick.

The Rastrick Bowling and Social Club have stepped back from their bid to provide an indoor four-lane rink to house the bowlers made “homeless” by the closure of the Huddersfield Sports Centre.

They have held talks with bowlers and with others and have now backed the plans for a rink at Huddersfield YMCA’s Laund Hill site.

The bowlers have been fighting for a new base since Kirklees Council confirmed there would be no space for the sport in the new £36m Huddersfield Leisure Centre, which opened in June.

The bowlers had used the rink at the old Sports Centre for more than 40 years.

The Rastrick club became involved in October 2014 when it became clear that the provision for indoor bowling in the area would be lost and they identified land adjacent to its bowling green, which could provide sufficient space for four lanes of indoor bowling.

In March, Kirklees Council told Rastrick officials that they were the only possible option for providing a local venue and gave a small grant for a feasibility study. However, since then the Huddersfield Indoor Bowling Club [HIBC] and Huddersfield YMCA have come together to offer a possible venue at Laund Hill and this was more attractive to

HIBC as it allows them to stay in the Huddersfield area.

An early glimpse of a possible indoor bowling venue at Laund Hill

Rastrick spokesman Trevor Heeley said: “Rastrick have been working on the project since March, but unfortunately the possible building of a rink to open by September 2016 is thought to be very unlikely.

“A meeting was held in July between the Rastrick Feasibility Coordinators and HIBC to discuss the present situation and various options. Rastrick have analysed the situation regarding the possible success of building a rink at the YMCA premises at Laund Hill with its “ready to go” status and have come to the conclusion that for the benefit of all local indoor bowlers it would put its’ project on hold and allow HIBA/YMCA to take the lead and make applications for planning permission, funding, etc., without competing against them.

“In January 2016 Rastrick will review the progress of both projects and then decide to keep their project on hold, cancel it completely or reactivate it. If by any chance the HIBC/YMCA venture does not come to fruition and Rastrick reactivate their plans it is hoped that they would then receive the full support and backing of them both.

“We wish HIBC/YMCA every success in providing the indoor bowling facility at Laund Hill and hope the new facility will be well used by indoor bowlers from all the surrounding areas as were the facilities at the old Sports Centre and at Whitcliffe Mount”..