Game, set and match for refurbished tennis courts
Five public tennis courts at West Beach in Whitstable have officially reopened following a £56,000 project to refurbish them.
All the courts have been resurfaced and relined with new nets and new fencing along the seawall. Work has taken place in phases since it kicked off in late March.
It has been a joint project as part of the Parks Tennis Project, between the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) and Canterbury City Council, funded by the UK government.
The courts are now available to book via the LTA website (search for Island Wall, Whitstable) with a new booking system and gate access technology in place meaning that a court can be booked at a day and time of the customer’s choosing and will definitely be available upon arrival.
Each court costs £7 an hour to book. The council is in the process of finding an operator to run the courts, with the opportunity set to go out publicly to the market in the next few weeks and an aim to have them in place later in the autumn.
The council and the LTA will be working together to ensure Barclays Free Park Tennis sessions are also on offer, providing opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and play.
And Canterbury district residents are being given the opportunity to become volunteer Barclays Free Park Tennis activators at West Beach by completing free online training. More information is on the Barclays Free Park Tennis Activators website.
As well as these weekly free sessions, with equipment provided, the new courts are to host a range of community coaching activities. Local tennis leagues will give people the opportunity to get involved in friendly and social local competitions.
Cabinet member for open spaces, Cllr Mel Dawkins, said: “The standard of work on this project has been ‘ace’, with the courts looking absolutely fantastic and ready to welcome players of all ages and abilities to hit that first serve.
“Only a few weeks ago we saw the great Sir Andy Murray retiring, but the future of British tennis looks very bright with lots of young talent coming through, and there’s no reason why we won’t see some local talent falling in love with the game and potentially reaching the highest levels as a result of this project.
“Working in partnership with the LTA on this has been brilliant so far and we look forward to seeing all the community benefits taking shape over the months and years to come.”
Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, Julie Porter, said: “After months of hard work, we’re delighted to see park tennis courts at West Beach officially back open to the public, and in better shape than ever.
“Public tennis courts are such vital facilities for getting active and we want as many people as possible, of all ages and abilities, to pick up a racket and enjoy playing tennis. Thanks to this investment the sport will be opened up to more players, for years to come.”
The scheme in Whitstable is part of the LTA’s Parks Tennis Project, which is providing the biggest ever investment in park tennis facilities across Britain. Millions of pounds are being invested to transform courts and open up the sport to many more people.
The UK government and LTA Tennis Foundation is contributing £42,000 to the total cost with the council providing £14,000.
Representatives from the council and LTA gathered for an event at the courts on Friday 6 September, when Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Cllr Jean Butcher, announced they were officially open.
Published: 9 September 2024