Public tennis courts in Somerset to benefit from £300,000 upgrades
It's part of a national scheme to refurbish public tennis courts and improve accessibility
Somerset Council are working with the national sporting body the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to invest and refurbish a number of courts across the region.
Public venues in Taunton, Yeovil, Ilminster and Crewkerne will get an upgrade, thanks to £300,000 of investment by the LTA Foundation and the Government.
In addition to investment of £270,000 from the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, £30,000 will also be invested by Somerset Council.
It's hoped the scheme, in association with Taunton Town Council, Ilminster Town Council and Crewkerne Town Council will improve accessibility and help more people to get active.
The project is part of a nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to more people.
It's hoped it'll help to improve accessibility to the sport, especially to those in lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Alongside the investment, Somerset Council will also work with the LTA and town councils to deliver a range of activity across the park sites.
Somerset Council also hopes to establish Local Tennis Leagues at the parks which would provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active through local competition.
Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture at Somerset Council, said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with the LTA on upgrading our tennis courts.
"This project will see them being resurfaced and painted, secure gates installed and booking systems put in place to enhance the experience of accessing the sport for the area.
"These facilities are so important to communities, and I hope it will encourage residents of all ages and abilities to get outdoors, get active and play tennis.”
Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Somerset 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 Somerset 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 park venues being renovated are:
- Vivary Park
- Yeovil Recreation Ground
- Ilminster Recreation
- Severalls Park
- Taunton Green
Work will start in May and the courts will be available to book online including via the LTA website.