Agenda item

Report attached.

Councillor Steven Smithson, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, provided a reportinforming the Cabinet about an offer from the national governing body for tennis in the UK, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), to fund the refurbishment of the tennis courts in Oakhill Park.

Councillor Smithson outlined the proposal from the LTA, and the recommendations to accept the offer, to approve the necessary delegations to officers to negotiate and agree terms with the LTA and to enter into a licence or agreement to allow the works to be carried out.  He highlighted that there were three tennis court sites in the Borough, at Oakhill Park and Peel Park in Accrington and at Lowerfold Park in Great Harwood.  The largest site was at Oakhill Park, but the surface was uneven and line markings were faded.  The LTA had categorised the courts as poor and had offered to invest around £50k for their refurbishment.  The costs proposed by the LTA for use of the refurbished tennis courts at Oakhill Park were £5 per hour for ‘pay as you play’ or £25 for an annual household pass.   The Council’s other tennis courts would remain free to use.

Councillor Peter Britcliffe commented that this was great news, as the tennis courts had been somewhat neglected over time.   Other tennis courts across the Borough in Rhyddings Park and Gatty Park had been taken out of use in previous years.  Councillor Harrison commented that she and Councillor Joyce Plummer had personally erected the netting at the Peel Park courts over the last few years.

Approval of the report was not deemed a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

The majority of park tennis courts in the UK were owned by local authorities, however, increasing pressure on local authority budgets over the years had resulted in significant underinvestment, leaving approximately 45% of all park tennis courts in a poor, very poor, or unplayable condition.

Research had found that poor quality courts were disproportionately found in lower income areas.  The LTA’s Parks Investment Funding aimed to help address this underinvestment, opening up the sport to people of all backgrounds, and ultimately providing greater opportunities for everyone to follow the Chief Medical Officer’s guidance on physical activity.

At the Autumn Budget 2021, funding of £21.9m had been made available for investment into rejuvenating dilapidated park tennis courts throughout the UK.  Alongside this, a further £8.4m of funding committed had been committed by the LTA, taking the total funding package for the two year investment programme to £30.3m.

Park tennis courts were particularly important in providing affordable opportunities for anyone to pick up a racquet.  With over 1.7 million adults playing on park courts every year, parks played a critical role in ensuring the sport was accessible to all and tennis could contribute to well-being benefits.

Through this Investment Programme, LTA’s ambition was to support local authorities to develop quality, sustainable park tennis facilities for all, and attract 1 million more players to the sport across the UK, contributing to health, social and wellbeing outcomes for residents and communities.

There were three tennis court sites located within parks in Hyndburn.  There were tennis courts in Oakhill Park & Peel Park in Accrington and Lowerfold Park in Great Harwood.  Over the last few years the tennis courts at Peel Park and Lowerfold Park had received some investment.

Oakhill Park was the largest tennis venue with three individual courts.  Unfortunately the surface was uneven and line marking faded which made for a poor tennis experience.  The courts at Oakhill Park had been surveyed by the LTA and categorised as poor, which meant they were eligible for funding.

The LTA offer was to invest circa £50,000 into the tennis courts at Oakhill Park which would lead to the surface being refurbished, the lines being re-painted and some of the fencing being replaced.

The LTA’s own contractor would undertake the refurbishment work at Oakhill Park under licence from the Council.  The LTA were using their own contractor to ensure that all sites refurbished via the investment programme were done so to a specific standard required by the LTA, which would be the same across the UK, so as to provide a national standard of park tennis court.

As the LTA investment programme was designed to produce sustainable tennis courts, a condition of the funding was that use of the courts at Oakhill Park would become a chargeable leisure activity with all income derived put into a sinking fund used to resurface the courts so they remained in good condition for the long term.  The Council would also have to ensure the courts were swept, kept clean and nets installed to facilitate tennis.

The tennis courts at Oakhill Park would be booked via an online booking system which would provide a code to gain entry to the tennis courts. 

The LTA would work with the Council (post capital works) to offer coaching opportunities and increase opportunities for participation.

As the courts at Peel Park and Lowerfold Park were not included in this project, the use of those courts would remain free of charge.

Alternative Options considered and Reasons for Rejection

Not to accept the LTA funding offer to refurbish the tennis courts at Oakhill Park.  This had been discounted as the tennis courts were in need of refurbishment and the funding would provide a quality tennis facility for the people of Hyndburn, both in the short and long term.

Resolved                                  (1)   That Cabinet accepts the offer from the LTA to refurbish the tennis courts in Oakhill Park.

(2)   That Cabinet delegates authority to the Executive Director (Environment) to negotiate and agree terms of the funding agreement with the LTA to deliver this project.

(3)   That Cabinet delegates authority to the Executive Director (Environment) to enter into a licence or other suitable written agreement with the LTA to enable the LTA’s preferred contractor to undertake the proposed works in Oakhill Park.