End of the road for indoor bowling at Tweedbank as club's home to be transformed into gymnastics centre
Last updated 22nd May 2026
Members of Tweedbank Indoor Bowling Club have been left devastated after councillors agreed to push ahead with plans to transform their home into a new gymnastics and soft play centre.
The decision means bowlers will have to make a 35-mile round-trip to Teviotdale Leisure Centre in Hawick if they want to continue to play the game over winter.
Donna Paterson, who was in the council chamber at Newtown St Boswells to watch the debate, said: "I'm all for giving the younger generation something to do, but I think we've forgotten about the older generation - for them it's a social lifeline.
"We've never had a chance to put our point of view forward; it's devastating."
Scottish Borders Council heard the bowling club building, next to Tweedbank Sports Complex, is losing around £40,000 a year, while the new attraction is forecast to make annual profits of £150,000.
Live Borders CEO Catriona McAllister said: "These are not decisions that I ever want to propose or make, but the challenge for us is how do we close that financial gap."
Reducing the number of lanes available to the bowling club to allow it to stay had been discussed but has since been ruled out.
Ms McAllister added: "We felt it would be damaging to the club, it would be difficult for them to run on just four lanes. The predominant reason is that arrangement would not allow us to maximise the revenue to the extent that we can from repurposing the whole facility."
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In January, councillors heard the trust which manages the building is currently operating with an annual deficit of more than £2m.
And, while neighbouring Galashiels has already lost the Queen's Cente following a review of its finances, local authority leader Euan Jardine (Conservative, Galashiels & District) says difficult decisions need to be made to prevent further cuts.
"It won't just be a bowling club, it won't just be a leisure centre, it won't just be a swimming pool, it will be lots of things would have to close," he explained.
"And I think we have to look at this as a way to drive revenue, and modernise our estate, and give people more opportunities."
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Opposition councillor John Paton-Day (SNP, Leaderdale and Melrose) had proposed delaying a decision to allow more discussions to take place.
He suggested solar panels could be installed on the centre's roof to help cut its energy bills.
But local councillor David Parker (Independent, Leaderdale and Melrose) said: "The reality is it will be significantly more used when it's repurposed, and also it will be open 12 months of the year, unlike the current period of time when it lays empty for five months."
And he added: "It's going to give it a new lease of life for families, young people and the wider community."
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From producing multiple international players to the Scottish cup final win in 2009, President Malky Thin says he's incredibly proud of what the bowling club has achieved.
However, he admits members are "deeply upset and profoundly disappointed" by the council's decision.
"We condemn the closure of Tweedbank Indoor Bowling Club in the strongest possible terms," he added. "We firmly believe this decision fails to recognise the value of what we have built here, not just as a sporting venue, but as a vital community lifeline.
"We also believe this decision has been made without a full understanding of our sport or our club, by individuals who have little connection to bowling and, in many cases, may never have set foot in our stadium or seen first-hand the value it brings to so many people.
"While we may have played our last end, the spirit of this club will not be extinguished. The friendships, the achievements, and the sense of community we have created together will endure."
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