Game, Set and Match! £165,500 investment in new tennis courts for Abingdon
There’s great news for tennis fans – who will soon be able to play all year round thanks to a revamp of the courts in Abingdon.
Work is due to begin on Monday 5 February to install four new 3G Artificial Turf Pitch (ATP) tennis courts at the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre.
These new surfaces will replace the current Astro tennis courts at the centre, which are very popular, especially in the summer months – but after many years of play are now in need of refurbishment.
As part of the installation of the new surfaces the ground will be levelled so that the pitches can be used in all weather conditions throughout the year. This will benefit tennis tournaments as well as recreational purposes.
The work is expected to take around 7 to 8 weeks and will be impacted if there is any wet weather while the work is taking place. During this time the courts will be out of action.
Vale of White Horse District Council who own the centre and the land surrounding it have invested £165,500 from CIL and S106 funding, which are developer contributions used for projects in the local area.
Cllr Debra Dewhurst, Cabinet Member for Leisure Centres and Community Buildings said: “These courts are already very popular but once the new surfaces are installed making them more robust and weatherproof they can be used even more.
“We’re proud that the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre is used for professional tennis tournaments so it’s really good that we’re able to maintain them for competition standard. This is just one of a number of projects we are working on to make sure that the facilities at the centre are the best that they can be.”
Cllr Andrew Crawford, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property said: “This project is a great example of how we’re able to use the developer contributions to improve facilities for residents and make sure that they are able to use them for years to come.”
The 3G artificial surface will require less maintenance by GLL who manage the centre and facilities on behalf of the council and also less chemicals which will make it more environmentally friendly.
Once the work is complete the courts will be available to book via the Better UK App, website or directly through the centre.
The refurbishment of these courts is one of a number of projects taking place at the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre to improve facilities. This month the vanity area had a makeover with new hairdryers, units and a wheelchair accessible area plus a new sea life mural for children to view from the pool and there is a project underway to renovate the reception area in the coming months.
