Partially-sighted bowlers, who have been forced to travel 25 miles to play, have been offered a site closer to home.

Members of the newly-formed Spen Valley Flat Green Bowling Club have been given fresh hope after Kirklees Council offered them land to build three bowling lanes beside two existing crown greens in Firth Park, Heckmondwike.

Players had been squeezing into cars and travelling through Bradford each Monday to Ben Rhydding near Ilkley - which has the only flat bowling green they can use.

Founder member Christine Harrison, who started the club after her sight was affected during an operation to remove a brain tumour, said members would be visiting Firth Park to find out if it was suitable.

Mrs Woodcock, 58, of Hunsworth, Cleckheaton, said: "It's been taking us an hour to get to Ben Rhydding and there's only two members who have cars.

"Obviously we would prefer a full green but the offer of three lanes is better than what we have now.

"I'm sure there are a lot of partially-sighted people who would like a game of bowls if there was somewhere to play near them."

The 13-member club has been limited to where it can play as most greens in the district are crown greens which are sloped, making them difficult for the team's six partially-sighted members to play on. They team up with their sighted partners who tell them how to play their shots.

The Spen Valley team competes in tournaments for the partially-sighted across the country.

If members decide to take the Firth Park site they plan to apply for a lottery grant to help pay for the creation of the flat bowling lanes.

Members have already raised around £1,000 themselves to help pay for a green.

Richard Brooker, head of Kirklees Council's leisure services, said the club had until June to submit a bid to the Millennium Commission.

"We've been trying to help them find somewhere to play. The lanes would be full length but there's not enough room for a full-width green," he said.

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