Improvement works have started on tennis courts at Sutton Lawn and Huthwaite Welfare Park as part of plans to ‘serve’ a grand slamming £214k investment into the facilities.
The courts are scheduled to reopen early 2024 with temporary lines in place until a full repainting can take place in the spring once the weather has improved.
Ashfield District Council and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) are working together to invest in and refurbish public park tennis courts in Sutton and Huthwaite. As part of the major investment, eight tennis courts will receive court resurfacing and colouring, and with new fencing and access gates installed.
Ashfield District Council will be investing £55k as part of the Green Ashfield initiative, funded by their £62.6million Towns Deal, to provide new LED floodlighting at Sutton Lawn. This is on top of the investment of over £159k from the UK government and LTA Tennis Foundation. The Council is working with Sutton in Ashfield Lawn Tennis Club to upgrade facilities at the park, including the pavilion, to support the club to attract new members.
Cllr Jason Zadrozny, Leader of Ashfield Council said: “It will soon be Game, Set and Match for the work being completed. It is fantastic to see the transformation on these tennis courts as we know how much our residents value access to modern, fit-for-purpose sports pitches, courts, and leisure centres. The Council remains committed to continuing to provide quality leisure and sports facilities to ensure that our residents can live a healthy and happy life in Ashfield.”
The courts are scheduled to reopen early 2024 with temporary lines in place until a full repainting can take place in the spring once the weather has improved.
Ashfield District Council will also work with an operator and the LTA to deliver a range of activities across the park sites. This will include weekly organised free tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience, where equipment is provided, meaning that people will not need someone to play with or their own racket. Local Tennis Leagues will also provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active through local competition.
All courts and sessions at Sutton Lawn and Huthwaite Welfare Park will be available to book online via the LTA website. Sessions at Kingsway Park, Kirkby, will also be bookable on the LTA website.
Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Ashfield District Council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active. This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project, and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come. We will also be working closely with the council to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, and open up our sport to many more people.”
The project is part of a £30million nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to many more people. This investment will see thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of communities across the country through renovation works, and improved court accessibility with new gate-access technology and booking systems.
