Public drop in sessions to discuss Mount Florida Bowling Club development

Mount Florida’s Community Trust is hosting a public drop in session tonight (Wednesday) and Saturday morning to discuss a planning application to build a block of flats at the former Bowling Club on Carmunnock Road.

Members of Mount Florida Bowling Club, whose membership dropped from 250 to 77, voted to close their facility in 2018 and decided to dispose of the land to Noah Managements and Developments Ltd.

In October 2019 the Community Trust submitted a bid to the council to develop a sports facility. They want to buy the bowling club to make this possible.

Nicola Smith, director of Mount Florida Community Trust, said: “We would have tried to help the bowling club years ago had they let us know they were struggling to attract members.

“We totally accept that this site could be more.

“We want to offer different sports to the community as well. We would offer a membership for those who wanted to remain part of the bowling club but also allow people to turn up and hire other sports equipment freely.

“We would also like to see a tennis court developed at the site. Mount Florida Primary School would benefit from public green space as their play ground is all tarred.

“This facility has been in our community for 100 years and should be used for 100 years to come.”

Noah Managements and Developments Ltd has said that a “substantial pocket of publicly accessible open space will be provided by their development”.

If successful two apartment blocks of equal scale, will be aligned to Carmunnock Road and set back from the existing planted embankments.

Duplex apartments would be created on the ground floor and a series of generous one-bed and two-bed apartments would feature on upper floors and include private balconies.

Residents have until Thursday, January 16 to submit their response to these proposals on the council’s website.

Ms Smith continued: “We are hosting these drop in sessions to tell people about the development proposals and show them how they can navigate the council’s website and submit their response.

“This application was submitted just before Christmas so we hope as many people as possible will have seen it what with the busy festive period.

“The trust isn’t supportive of the development.

“We are desperate to save the bowling club. We are looking to find ways to purchase it and keep it within the community.”

The drop in sessions will take place between 7.30pm and 9pm tonight (Wednesday) and 10.30am until 12.30pm on Saturday, January 11 at Clincarthill Parish Church.