Grantham park tennis courts to be refurbished with funding of £57,000

Two tennis courts in a Grantham's Wyndham Park will be saved from closure with a £57,000 grant from the Lawn Tennis Association.

Cabinet members on South Kesteven District Council agreed to accept the funding at a meeting this afternoon (Tuesday).

The council will also enter into an agreement with Grantham Tennis Club which will take on the management and operation of the courts under a 15-year leasehold arrangement.

The council will provide a sum of £8,428 to cover the first three-year contribution to the sinking fund and gate maintenance at the courts.

It is hoped that funding will be made available in future to refurbish the court in Dysart Park as well.

A report before the Cabinet said all three courts are “under-utilised and in need of refurbishment due to their age and condition”.

It added: "The two courts in Wyndham Park are of the most concern and without intervention it will be necessary to close them, as further deterioration to the court surfaces will give rise to health and safety concerns in relation to the risk of slips, trips, and falls."

The funding will cover the costs of upgrading the court surface, new nets and fencing and installing a smart access gate system.

The Cabinet chairman, Councillor Kelham Cooke, said the funding for the courts was "fantastic news".

He said: "To have two state-of-the-art community access tennis courts with 100 per cent grant funding is fantastic news and is very much needed to replace the current courts which are at the end of their life cycle."

Councillor Adam Stokes told the meeting: "As the county councillor that covers this area I am obviously delighted that we are getting this investment from the Lawn Tennis Association.

"It will certainly improve the facilities at the park and I do hope that in the future we are able to do Dysart Park as well because I know that they are in a state, but this is excellent news and it is not costing the tax payers of Grantham any additional money so I am delighted with this."

Councillor Rosemary Trollope-Bellew, Cabinet member for culture and visitor economy, told the meeting that Grantham Tennis Club would promote use of the tennis courts in Wyndham Park and the Tennis for Free scheme in which residents can take part in free coaching sessions.