A grandmother who has been taking her family bowling for years has expressed dismay at the closure of the only bowling alley in Bracknell.
Hollywood Bowl at The Point building in the town centre closed down in October.
The building is now fully closed, with the Odeon cinema closing in May and Pizza Hut closing in June.
Linda Goddard, 72, from Binfield, has been going to Hollywood Bowl for years, is a member of a local club and enjoyed taking her family to the venue.
She has lamented what she sees as a decline in the range of activities for children and families to do in Bracknell.
Mrs Goddard said: “All we’ve got is more flats, where more people are coming who need local entertainment, and all we’ve got is flats and restaurants.
“What are kids meant to do, roam through the night?
“I’ve been taking my family there for 20 years; now they’ve gotten older, they can go by themselves.”
Mrs Goddard alluded to a ‘promise’ made that a bowling alley would be re-provided at the former Bentalls site, called The Deck.
However, plans for The Deck, which would also feature more restaurants, were delayed in 2021 and 2022 and ultimately scrapped in October 2023.
Furthermore, the John Nike Leisure Centre was permanently closed in March 2020.
She said: “They said there would be a bowling alley at the old Bentalls site.
“They said they would build a new cinema because the old one [Odeon] would go, that one is more expensive, but it’s there.
“All they keep doing is building more flats, the ice rink and ski slope have gone, the family all went there to learn how to skate, it’s all gone, all there is is a cinema.
“It’s not a short drive to Reading from Bracknell! People who don’t drive can’t get to Reading and Wokingham.”
Wokingham Superbowl has been open since 2017, and Hollywood Bowl opened at The Oracle Riverside in Reading this summer.
Mrs Goddard has questioned what activities are available for children, while acknowledging the presence of Coral Reef Waterworld and that a new cinema had been provided when Cineworld opened in 2017.
Mrs Goddard said: “In the cinema you just watch the film, then talk about it afterwards.
“Hollywood Bowl was always heaving, you could hear the laughter, families were interacting, it was absolutely amazing. Now we can’t do that locally.”
Mrs Goddard is a member of The Jubilee Bowling League. She said: “Some have dropped out because they don’t want to go to Wokingham.
“Every birthday that [bowling] was my treat, it was an amazing night out or afternoon, and it was always full. I’m just so upset about it all.
The lanes were always full, I’m just gutted.”
Bracknell Forest Council was asked what family-friendly activities are available in the area, and whether a bowling alley may fit into the council’s current town centre strategy.
These questions were answered by Paul Bidwell (Labour, Easthampstead & Wildridings), cabinet member for economy and regeneration.
He clarified that The Point and The Peel Centre and the Bentall site are both privately owned, and that it was not in the council’s power to provide a new bowling facility.
Cllr Bidwell said: “The council has never made a promise about re-providing a bowling alley in the town, as this is provided by a private company.
“The council welcomes new leisure opportunities in the borough that developers and landowners bring forward and acknowledges they can have a positive impact on the borough.
“As well as Cineworld and Coral Reef Waterworld, there is a wealth of activities for children and young people in Bracknell Forest.
“These include the leisure centre with swimming pool, activities, soft play (Play World) and gym and Downshire Golf Complex offers an 18-hole golf course and driving range.
“Residents who receive benefits are eligible for the leisure saver scheme.
“As a borough, we also benefit from a wide range of parks and open spaces, including The Look Out, ideal for outdoor exercise from walking, running and cycling, as well as a variety of sports clubs and societies. We also have a BMX and skatepark at Long Hill Park.
“There are also youth groups and youth clubs that run locally and a whole host of activities and venues run by our parish and town councils like the Summer of Fun events and Mill Pond, which has a skate ramp. Plus, we have lots of privately run activity centres like Go Ape, mini golf at Blue Mountain and the Ozone Ice Rink.”
