Bowling's Coming Back to Whitehaven: The Rack Shack Wants Six to Eight Lanes Whitehaven's Rack Shack Plans Ten-Pin Bowling Lanes for March 2027

The Rack Shack wants to put proper bowling lanes in the empty half of its building. If the council says yes, they're aiming for March 2027.

If you've been saying Whitehaven needs more for families to do, this one's for you. The Rack Shack, the snooker and pool place on Quay Street, wants to put in ten-pin bowling.

They got a long-term lease on the building in April, and they've got about twice the space they actually use. So they've asked the council to change the building from a snooker and pool hall to a proper indoor entertainment venue. Owner Scott McKelvey says it'd mean six to eight full-size lanes. In his words: "It's something I've been thinking about doing for a few years, hopefully it will be a boost for Whitehaven and be part of the town building back up."

If it gets the nod, work starts in January and the lanes open in March 2027. They'd go in behind the pool tables and dartboards, with their own seating, still part of the atmosphere but split off from the bar. A specialist firm would fit the lanes, and he wants to use local joiners and sparkies where he can.

There's more on the wish list too. Shuffleboards could arrive around the same time, and maybe crazy golf and table tennis in three or four years. Depending how busy it gets, that's possibly two full-time jobs and three part-time.

We couldn't find the application on the council's planning register yet. Once it's up, you can have a look and say your piece on the Cumberland Council planning pages.

The Rack Shack snooker and pool venue on Quay Street, Whitehaven, has applied to Cumberland Council for a change of use so it can add six to eight full-size ten-pin bowling lanes, aiming to open them in March 2027.

This is for families, groups of friends and anyone in Whitehaven looking for something to do on a wet weekend. The Rack Shack, the snooker, pool and darts venue on Quay Street, has submitted plans to Cumberland Council to add ten-pin bowling.

The venue secured a long-term lease on its building in April. It is currently classed as a snooker and pool hall and is seeking a change of use to become a multi-activity indoor entertainment venue. Owner Scott McKelvey told Cumbria Crack that, if approved, the plans would create six to eight full-size bowling lanes, using space the business does not currently use. He said: "It's something I've been thinking about doing for a few years, hopefully it will be a boost for Whitehaven and be part of the town building back up."

Subject to planning approval, work is expected to start in January, with the lanes due to open to the public in March 2027. The bowling would sit behind the existing pool tables and dartboards, with its own seating area and a divide from the bar. Mr McKelvey said a specialist company would install the lanes, with local joiners and electricians used where possible.

Shuffleboards are likely to be added at around the same time, and crazy golf and table tennis are possibilities in three or four years. Depending on demand, the expansion could create two full-time and three part-time jobs.

The planning application had not yet appeared on the council's public register when we checked. Once it does, you can view the plans and comment through the planning pages of the Cumberland Council website.