Lowestoft tennis courts at Denes Oval, Kensington Gardens and Normanston Park set for nearly £400,000 worth of investment
A coastal town is set for nearly £400,000 worth of investment to enhance access to its tennis facilities.
Lowestoft Town Council has announced a partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to renovate courts at three of the town’s parks, as well as making them free of charge to use.
It forms part of a larger nationwide project to refurbish public courts across the UK and open up the sport to more people.
A total of 16 tennis courts and eight pickleball courts will be redeveloped in Lowestoft.
Sonia Barker, mayor of Lowestoft, said: “Securing this investment to refurbish our tennis courts and introduce free to all tennis participation across our park tennis venues is a real win for the town council and we welcome the opportunity to work with LTA in enhancing tennis provision to increase inclusion and participation.
“As a town council we are keen to ensure our substantial leisure assets are enjoyed by all and support us in achieving increased levels of physical activity in our communities, leading to improved health and wellbeing for Lowestoft residents.”
Courts at Normanston Park, Kensington Gardens and Denes Oval will all benefit from the funding, including resurfacing works, new access gates and an online booking system.
Denes Oval will also have floodlights installed.
Julie Porter, chief operating officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Lowestoft Town 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 Lowestoft Town 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.”
Alongside the refurbishment investment, Lowestoft Town Council will work with the LTA to deliver a range of activities across the venues, such as weekly organised tennis sessions for all ages. Equipment and playing partners will also be provided meaning people will not need someone to play with or their own racket to join in.
Local tennis leagues will also be created to provide friendly, sociable opportunities to get active through local competition.
The total sum of investment is £374,000, with the town council providing £200,000 and the LTA £174,000. Works are expected to begin next month and be completed in the spring.