Ten courts will be refurbished across four sites in Bromley as part of efforts to get more residents of all ages playing tennis by improving access to better facilities.
The initiative will mean more residents can book well maintained tennis courts and access affordable coaching and tennis activity in Bromley. This is hoped to encourage more residents to join in as improved courts are delivered in Church House Gardens, Coney Hall Recreation Ground, Goddington Park, and Poverest Park. The initiative is being delivered in partnership with grant funders the LTA and will also see some free access to tennis provided on all sites at set times, including a ‘Parkrun for tennis’ type offer at selected venues.
Councillor Yvonne Bear, Bromley’s Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing said: “I am delighted that improvements will now be made to Bromley's tennis offering and I hope this will encourage residents of all ages to pick up rackets and try the sport. Bromley has a great recent history of tennis success, as shown by Emma Raducanu MBE. Since you never know who the next star will be, it is great that we are able to provide access to improved facilities which may lead some to a lifelong passion and possibly striking success on the court.”
The site improvements will see courts operating a sustainable, low-cost model with an easy, online booking systems, including at Church House Gardens, Coney Hall Recreation Ground, Goddington Park, and Poverest Park, where some site enhancements will also take place. Bromley has received over £200,000 for this initiative from the LTA and the government as part of their joint investment of over £30 million nationally to refurbish thousands of public park tennis courts.
Bromley Council will now work with the LTA to finalise the delivery plan across all parks tennis venues in Bromley, including improving court accessibility, providing local activities and delivering the works on site in 2023, with more information available in due course.
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Editors’ notes - LTA are the Lawn Tennis Association, who are working with the government to refurbish public tennis courts across Britain and support a new generation of players to get into the sport.
The investment is designed to open up the sport to people of all backgrounds, support the government’s commitment to levelling up sports provision across the nation, and provide greater opportunities for children and adults to be active.
This will see thousands of public park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of local communities.
For media enquiries, please contact James George, public affairs officer, on 020 8313 4565 or email james.george@bromley.gov.uk