Charging Proposals for the Ridge Tennis Courts

Following protests lodged by the Community Council with Freedom Leisure about the introduction of charges for the Spearpoint tennis courts, the Council has received the following explanation from Councillor Kate Walder of Ashford Borough Council, Cabinet Member for Parks, Recreation and Legal. Council will discuss this at its meeting on 14 August starting at 6.30 pm, which will be held in St Marys Community Centre, just off Ryland Road. 

 

“I am writing to follow up from our previous conversations regarding the proposed introduction of a charging structure at the Spearpoint tennis courts by Freedom Leisure. 

 

I can first confirm that officers from ABC will be attending the next scheduled meeting of the Community Council on 14th August along with representatives from Freedom to talk through the changes with residents and Community Councillors. I am already committed to another ABC Committee meeting that evening for which I apologise. 

 

I do hope the following information will provide context and background to the new charges during a time of tightly squeezed budgets and cost of living pressures. However, I also believe they represent the most effective and sustainable long-term strategy to ensure the continued upkeep and maintenance of the courts to a high standard in coming years. 

 

ABC are completely committed to a wider leisure. and sports strategy for the Borough to encourage residents to lead healthier, happier and longer lives by providing affordable, high quality and accessible facilities, along with a determination to tackle childhood obesity. 

 

The new programme of more tailored, structured tennis provision at Spearpoint has been designed by Freedom with extensive expert input from the Lawn Tennis Association. It explicitly includes introducing charging to build up a sinking fund so that the courts remain playable for the long- term. This fund will be built up to pay both for regular grounds, nets, fencing and necessary facilities' maintenance and replacement along with larger infrastructure works. Costs are estimated at £57,000 for the next five years to keep the courts at their current standard. Resurfacing the courts will have to take place in the next 3 - 5 years and initial estimates come in at around £30,000. A benchmarking exercise was conducted by Freedom at ABC’s request to ensure that the new charges were as fair as possible and they have been set at a level below the average charged by local authorities and their leisure providers in the South East. 

 

The new programme includes a wide range of tennis activities designed to encourage residents through the Park Tennis programme. These sessions are free of charge. Park Tennis sessions provide coaching, all equipment and work-outs designed to appeal to all ages and abilities. It removes the issue of finding a partner to play as does the newly created Tennis League, designed to run all year which enables players to compete and to be matched with players of equivalent ability. Finally, volunteer coach training will be provided in order to encourage and harness grass-roots’ enthusiasm and participation in the game. We are all well aware that significant barriers exist particularly to tennis and these proposals are designed to break those barriers down. The Lawn Tennis Association has provided expert research and guidance throughout. 

 

The Lawn Tennis Association are very clear that badly-maintained scruffy courts act as a huge disincentive to participation. There are currently 4,500 + unplayable or derelict public courts in the UK and as councils face huge budgetary pressures, some have down-graded and essentially been forced to abandon courts. This has been the case with the park courts in Tenterden and I’m aware of courts in East Sussex that have been redesignated for basket ball because councils have not been able to formulate a sustainable funding programme. If that happens the courts will degenerate rapidly and I do not believe that is an acceptable outcome. 

 

I am also very concerned by the percentage of court time booked regularly by professional coaches who use these public courts to give private lessons that squeeze residents out. Estimates by Freedom are that almost a quarter of slots are currently going to professional coaches free of charge. 

 

I attach a schedule of annual maintenance costs for your information. This also gives a brief outline of the resurfacing works which have to be factored in. 

 

I also attach court usage information giving the existing timetable against the proposed new timetabling prepared by Freedom. You will see that free access is made available to a wide range of residents, including all residents living within a half-mile radius of the courts. Free provision is available to residents receiving Universal Credit, PIP payments and children in receipt of free school meals. A new session will be run weekly for those with Special Educational Needs. 

 

Freedom Leisure contacted 750 registered users of the courts and invited them to participate in a survey on the proposed changes. Whilst responses were low ( approximately 10 per cent), users were able to help shape the future of tennis provision at Spearpoint and alerted to the fact that changes were going to happen. I apologise if residents felt that these changes had not been sufficiently communicated in advance. 

 

I hope this information puts the changes into context and I want to underline, once again, ABC’s commitment to high-quality, affordable and accessible tennis provision at Spearpoint. Do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this further.”