Hollywood Bowl backs campaign to save Great North Leisure Park

The company says 15.4 million games of bowling have taken place at its North Finchley venue, which will be demolished as part of a controversial housing development reports David Floyd

A large open air car park next to a cinema and bowling alley — Hollywood Bowl at Great North Leisure Park – (Credit – Mira Shah)

A popular bowling alley is supporting local campaigners in their bid to halt a controversial housing development in North Finchley.

Hollywood Bowl Finchley, part of a wider group of 77 centres across the UK, says it is “proud” that so many local people want to stop the Regal/Arada development of the Great North Leisure Park (GNLP), which was given the go ahead by deputy mayor of London Jules Pipe in May.

The scheme, which had previously been refused planning permission by Barnet Council’s strategic planning committee, would result in the existing leisure facilities at the site being demolished, though the developers plans do include a new leisure centre.

The bowling company says its centre at GNLP, which opened in 1994, has hosted 15.4 million games of bowling and 449,000 birthday parties – and that its 46 team members at the venue are “devastated” at the potential closure.

In a recent column, Finchley and Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman said she had “lost count of the number of birthday parties spent at the Great North Leisure Park bowling, watching films or swimming” while growing up in the area.

Now Hollywood Bowl says it supports campaign group Our North Finchley’s efforts to challenge the deputy mayor’s decision.

Mike Skinner, centre manager at Hollywood Bowl Finchley said: “Although it is a worrying time for the future of the Centre, we are feeling proud that so many locals want to stop the building work and save our bowling lanes. We want to continue welcoming customers, hosting birthday parties and being a part of the local community for as long as possible!”

At the City Hall hearing where the deputy mayor made the decision to approve the scheme, a representative of Regal/Arada described the the GNLP as a “textbook example” of an area that officials should be aiming to develop on.

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