CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Ryedale Indoor Bowls Centre have moved a step forward after a surprise move by Norton Town Council.

More than a 100 supporters and players packed the chamber at Ryedale House last Thursday for a special meeting of the district council to discuss the bowls centre’s future.

They heard Coun Di Keal (Lib Dem), Norton’s mayor and a Ryedale councillor, say the town authority had submitted an application for the bowls centre to be registered as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act.

As a result she successfully moved that the proposed sale of the centre would be delayed while the application is determined.

“If it successful, the district council would work with a steering group from the club to develop a business plan to secure its future.

Coun Keal said: “The district council’s decision will give the newly-formed committee at the club the opportunity to press ahead with plans aimed at creating a bright future for it as a community venue for Norton and the rest of Ryedale.

“Norton Town Council took the step of nominating the club as an Asset of Community Value because we firmly believe it is an important centre in the community.”

She added: “This was a major victory, but it isn’t the end of the fight to keep the club.

“It is just the start of the process. There is a huge amount of work to do to win the battle.”

Coun John Clark (Lib), who had proposed that the district council should recognise the desire for a full size bowls facility in Ryedale, said it was a valuable facility for older people. A new bowls centre would cost, he estimated, between £1.2 million and £3 million.

Terry Wray, speaking on behalf of the club, said a new working group had been set up and would be seeking charitable status for the centre.

“We now need to start taking about how we will run the club, assuming we get clearance to do so,” he said.

“There are a lot of things to be done and we need to get moving fairly quickly so that players and other users do not start to go elsewhere.”

Ryedale’s chief executive, Janet Waggott, said believed there was “no reason” why the centre would not be accepted as a community asset. “If it is, she added, it would result in a moratorium being put on the sale for the town council to produce a business plan,” she said.

Up to six months would be allowed for the plan to be produced.