TORFAEN bowls players fear their local clubs will close if the council stops maintaining the greens in a bid to save £228,000 a year.

Members of the Eastern Valley Bowling Association, which is made up of eight clubs, Garndiffaith, Blaenavon, Pontypool, Croesyceiliog, Pontnewydd, Panteg Park, Girlings and Cwmbran, and play on seven different bowling greens in Torfaen, are up in arms about Torfaen council’s proposals.

The council said it is considering options for maintaining the bowling greens as part of its budget process for next year, but gave no details. It said this could save it £228,000 a year.

Eastern Valley Bowling Association’s secretary Bob Price said club members would be expected to do maintenance work themselves if the proposal gets the go-ahead.

Mr Price, 68, from Pontypool, said: “They can’t expect people in their 70s, 80s and 90s to operate their machines.”

He said very few clubs would be able to do the maintenance, and the costs could lead to closures. Mr Price said the greens are used every day and the clubs have more than 300 members between them.

He said the council has had no consultation with any of the clubs. A spokesman for Torfaen council said: “No final decisions have been made as yet but proposals will be finalised in time for a council meeting on February 28.”