A NEW bowling green has opened in Basildon as part of £1.5million worth of improvements at Gloucester Park.

The Bowls Club pavilion and green, located in the Sporting Village, was built by Barratt Homes after the former Gloucester Park Bowling Green was knocked down to make way for 144 new homes in the Acacia Park development.

It features two outdoor bowling greens as well as “short mats” to allow indoor bowls to be played all year round.

The facility also provides 50 dedicated parking spaces and a brand new pavilion made of “vandal resistant materials”.

Mo Larkin, Mayor of Basildon, said: “The new bowls club is a great addition to the numerous sports offered at this end of the park and cements the Sporting Village’s position as a quality regional facility. We are working together with Barratt Homes to ensure that Gloucester Park does what a town park should.”

David Eardley, Managing Director for Barratt Eastern Counties, said: “The town is already home to some first class sporting facilities and it is our pleasure to provide another fantastic amenity for the residents of Basildon by building the new bowls club. We hope that the venue will be enjoyed not only by the residents of Acacia Park, but also the Basildon community as a whole.”

Anyone interested in joining the bowls club can call 01268 479793 or 07947 820490.