Please note, this is an archived story. Please check the date above.

Sports England have refused to fund the bowls facilities and unless an appeal against the refusal succeeds Manchester City Council must spend ?1m on the new greens and stadium.

The bowling facility is part of wider plans to develop five-a-side sports pitches, new tennis courts, changing facilities and health and fitness suite within a new sports zone.

The existing bowling green at Heaton Park

They are also being asked to support an investment of ?1m in the bowling facilites for the Commonwealth Games and aim to attract a further ?2m from the private sector.

Manchester City Council's chief executive Howard Bernstein has warned that without the agreement the greens will not be ready in time for the Games.

He said: "The creation of a sports zone has long been a strategic objective and this has been given renewed credibility by the intention to host the Commonwealth Bowls event in the Park. This will necessitate the relocation of the bowling greens and the construction of new ones with associated facilities.

"If members do not support this size of investment in bowling an alternative way of procuring the bowling greens for the games will have to be found, almost certainly, outside the city.

"It is imperative to continue the work currently taking place in the procurement of the bowling greens to continue with design and to appoint the main contractor immediately in order to ensure the bowling greens are completed on target for the Commonwealth Games."