A PLEA from a bowls club to not have its rent raised has been rejected.

The Radlett Bowls Club sent a letter to Aldenham Parish Council "pleading" with it not to increase the rent this year as it had already paid out large amounts to refurbish the pavilion.

The rejection came at a planning and general purposes committee decision.

At the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday, June 25, chairman John Howley said: "The chairman of Radlett Bowls Club was pleading that they do not face the levels of increase this year because of the work they did to the pavilion.

"Our response was maintaining the bowls club plus exclusive use of the pavilion was far more than we get in return and therefore we see no reason to reduce the amount they pay in rent."

The current rent was not revealed at the meeting but the council chairman said the practice over the last few years had been to raise the rent by 10 percent each year "because of the disparity of maintaining the bowls green and what they pay in rent".

After the meeting, vice chairman Mr Philip Eastburn said increasing the rent was an attempt to bring it a "bit more in line with reality".

He said: "It had been historically a low rent and It is a council recreation facility but we are trying to reduce the amount of subsidy."

Mr Michael Iremonger, of Radlett Bowls Club said no one from the Bowls club wished to comment.

July 1, 2002 16:00