A LADIES bowling club has been 'barred' from using a local bowling green.

After 57 years in existence, Wessex Ladies Bowling Club are no longer allowed to use the bowling facilities at Clarence Park in Weston. 

A spokesperson from Wessex Ladies has said: "Wessex Ladies Bowls Club after 57 years in existence have been barred from using the bowling greens in Clarence Park. The club have lived in harmony with the other clubs in the park for over half a century, until Clarence Bowling Club voted to only have one club at the facility and gave an ultimatum, join us or leave."

When asked by the Mercury, a spokesperson from Clarence Bowling Club has responded: "Clarence Bowling Club believe that the bowling facilities at Clarence Park are probably the best in Somerset and as you can imagine the costs of running a large modern clubhouse, with all year-round sports activities, together with the cost of maintaining 3 bowling greens is extremely high.

"There used to be three clubs at Clarence Park, Clarence Men, Clarence Ladies and Wessex Ladies until, in 2017, Clarence Ladies, due to reduction in membership and revenue, were no longer able to pay their share of the costs of running the clubhouse and their members chose to join Clarence Men to form a mixed club.

"Wessex Ladies were in the same position, but they chose to carry on as an independent club despite knowing that they, too, were likely to find themselves in the same situation and would eventually have to make the same difficult decisions. Our repeated requests for their members to join Clarence Bowling Club and form one single club were always roundly rejected.

"Clarence Bowling Club is deeply saddened that Wessex Ladies have chosen to leave Clarence Park, but with the costs of supporting the greens and clubhouse rising rapidly, Clarence Bowling Club realised that our own financial situation meant that we could no longer afford to subsidise an independent club.

"Whilst it is very disappointing that Wessex Ladies BC members have chosen to leave Clarence Park, they have done so leaving outstanding debts, which they have refused to pay, and regrettably our club will now have to make up the missing amount from our own club funds."