Regarding the increase in the licence fee for Crown Green Bowling.

Bolton Council have increased the fee from £25 to £65. This is an astronomical increase because most people who bowl are of retirement age and quite a few are on the basic pension. A lot of pensioners can’t afford this increase and are packing in playing.

This has quite an adverse effect because clubs cannot publish their seasons fixture because they don’t know if there will be enough members to form the teams.

The council now has had a meeting to decide if they will reduce the increase to £45. It is my view that they never intended to increase the fee to £65 but have used reverse psychology so that by only increasing to £45, they have changed from villains to good guys. But this increase will still decimate the bowling fraternity.

Fred Dickinson