Rowans Bowling Alley could be threatened by a new development in Finsbury Park

Rowans Tenpin Bowl is more than just a bowling alley. It’s an institution. The Finsbury Park venue as we know it has been around since 1988 (before that it was a cinema, a dancehall and a snookers club). Since then, it’s become an icon of north London and has reportedly been graced by the likes of Craig David, King Charles, members of the Backstreet Boys and J-Lo. But its days may be numbered. 

Haringey Council has revealed a plan to redevelop the site that Rowans sits on, and the public has five days left to have their say. The plan is still in its early stages, so details are pretty vague at the moment, but this is what we know so far.

Haringey wants to build a ‘high-density, mixed-use development’ with 190 new homes on the land between 2032-2041. That would likely mean demolishing Rowans. However, the plan says it would also build ‘an appropriate leisure/community facility use to replace the existing Rowans bowling alley must be provided at the foot of the new buildings’.

The application recognises the ‘existing public benefits’ of the bowling alley, which is listed as an Asset of Community Value. The council’s draft local plan says that ‘any proposals for the bowling alley site will be expected to re-provide the bowling alley and the range of community and leisure uses that it provides as part of any future redevelopment’. It also claims that it would work with local artists to ‘design and re-provision of the iconic Rowans bowling alley neon signage visible from the station platform’. 

The Twelve Pins pub next door could also be affected. Proposals say that the Irish boozer should be retained but that demolition and replacement of the venue’s extension ‘could be considered’. 

When another, very similar plan was published in 2013, there was strong opposition from locals. A petition gathered more than 5,000 signatures – one of the largest to have been submitted to the council at the time – and was temporarily successful in saving the venue from demolition.

There’s not long left to give your thoughts on Haringey’s plans. The closing date of the public consultation (which you can find here) is Friday, December 19. 

Rowans Tenpin Bowl was approached for comment.

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