Tennis in Plymouth is set for a huge boost thanks to a £143,000 investment across three locations.
Courts at Devonport Park, Hartley Park and Tothill Park, will all be getting brand new, Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) approved surfaces, brand new nets and posts, as well as improved access gates.
It is all part of a nationwide investment by the Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across the country, and open up the sport to many more people.
All three sites will be refurbished at the same time with working hoping to start in April and finish by summer 2023.
When they reopen they will be run in a similar way to the Central Park and West Hoe courts using the Clubspark online booking system.
An annual pass will cost £40 for the whole household, with as many bookings as you like for the whole year across all Council courts. Alternatively, you can pay and play for the reduced price of £6 a time. Concessionary prices will also be available.
The income generated will support the costs of maintenance ensuring a high-quality offer across the city for the public to enjoy for the long-term.
In addition, the Council will also work with the LTA to deliver a range of activity across the sites including weekly organised free park tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience where equipment is provided.
Councillor Pat Patel, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: "I'm really pleased to secure this investment and improve the tennis facilities across the city for everyone to enjoy.
"I look forward to seeing people of all ages using the improved courts later this year."
Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Plymouth City 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 Plymouth City 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 improvements are mainly funded from a £95,000 grant from the LTA. The Council are contributing £48,000 from section 106 funding.
Devonport Park, Hartley Park and Tothill Park will all be out of action while they are refurbished with regular users able to play Central Park and West Hoe instead.
All courts and sessions at all sites will be available to book online via the Plymouth Parks Tennis booking platform - Park Tennis Plymouth | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK or via the LTA Court Booking Portal