AN historic Glasgow bowling and tennis club that proved to be a community lifeline during the coronavirus pandemic is set to have its future safeguarded.

Yarrow Recreation Club, which has served locals in Anniesland Road for 77 years, is set to be sold to members for a token fee of £1 - if plans for a 60-bed new care home nearby are taken forward.

The club has been a focal point of the local community since opening in 1945, hosting generations of family celebrations as well as school parties, yoga classes and public meetings.  

It also proved a popular place for local residents during the coronavirus pandemic, however has struggled with a decline in membership numbers in recent years which plunged it into a cash crisis.

Glasgow Times: Yarrow Recreation ClubYarrow Recreation Club

The lost revenue and participation in activities reducing inward investment led to the closure of a tennis court and bowling green, and saw essential maintenance of the facility slip. 

Proposals for a new 60-bed home run by Morrison Community Care on now surplus club land are at a pre-application stage, but if approved will see the clubhouse and last remaining bowling green retained. 

Members will then be offered to take ownership of the premises from its current owner BAE Systems for a nominal £1 fee, with a revamp of dilapidated facilities set to take place as a result of the cash boost provided by the deal.

Paul Sokhi, Morrison Community Care managing director, said: "This is a family-run business and we place a great deal of value on working with the communities in which we operate. Our very first care home, Morrison House, opened on Anniesland Road in 1988 and remained for nearly 20 years, so we know the strong spirit of the Anniesland community.

"We understand the importance of retaining Yarrow Recreation Club but we are also acutely aware of the need for more suitable elderly accommodation in the west end of Glasgow. That is why we believe that our vision, which respects its longstanding history and enables the club to remain operational, and the opportunities afforded by the sale of the surplus land will be welcomed by members, local residents and Glasgow City Council.” 

Alongside 60, en-suite bedrooms, the new home would have a hair salon, cinema and private gardens, with a staff of 150 manning the operation.

Bill Lamont, Yarrow Recreation Club, Club Secretary and Treasurer, added: "If Planning permission is granted and the project proceeds, Yarrow Recreation Club would be able to purchase the Club and the remaining Bowling Green from BAE Systems for the members. This would ensure the long-term viability of this club as a Bowling Club and Social Club for the local community."

The proposals are set to be submitted to council planners imminently, with a decision expected thereafter.