Bowlers at Myrtle Park in Bingley are battling to save the dignified facade of their historic pavilion which is suddenly under threat of demolition.

The 100-year-old building is home to a cafe and the headquarters of the 50-strong bowls club. But vandalism and neglect have led to deterioration of the pillars and supports beneath the over-hanging roof, which provides shelter for spectators.

And now former club captain Michael Upton and his wife Sheila believe Bradford Council aims to tear down the frontage within the next few weeks.

“Last week we heard there’s a plan to rip it to bits, which would be a terrible shame,” said Mr Upton, 59, whose 90-year-old father Norman is the club president, as his father Herbert was before him.

“Elderly people like my Dad love to come and sit beneath the shelter of the roof and watch matches,” said Mr Upton, whose son David, 34, now captains the first team.

“He rolls in on his motor scooter and parks up next to other people who are brought along in wheelchairs.

“It’s one of the few outdoor places where people of that generation can safely go.”

Mrs Upton said the brickwork and other parts of the Council-owned building had been allowed to degenerate because unlike the perimeter wall and adjoining aviaries, it is not “listed”.

“We want to save this place for people in the future,” said Mrs Upton, 57, who is contacting past and present bowls club members to begin a campaign for restoration, not demolition.

She said: “This has been an iconic building for past generations and shouldn’t be stripped down to just be an oblong box.

“Maybe the price difference between the cost of destroying the front or saving it would not be too great and we could raise money to pay for it,” Mrs Upton said.

She said they understood no council meetings had taken place to set a date for demolition, but that this was something under serious discussion.

“Our chairman has spoken with council workers and that what he was told,” she said.

Bradford Councillor David Heseltine (Con, Bingley) said the building had a “chequered history.”

He said: “It’s very quaint and of an era and if it’s feasible then doing something to prolong its life would be my first option.”

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “We are currently awaiting structural reports on the cafe veranda and building at Myrtle Park. Until we have these reports no decision will be made on the future of the building.
“We will of course consult with the tenant, local users and area committees before any decisions are made.”