January 18, 2024 - 491 views
The tennis court at Bodlondeb Park in Conwy is set to be completed in the Spring, Conwy Council confirmed today.
The park tennis court renovations will be complete once the weather allows for additional remedial work to take place.
The courts have been closed for refurbishment for several months as part of an LTA initiative through which the park tennis courts are undergoing a £108,000 transformation.
While there have been delays to the works being carried out by contractors Blakedown, once completed the refurbishments will ensure the courts remain a much-valued asset for Conwy residents for many years to come.
The £108,000 investment comes as part of a £30million investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish thousands of public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to many more people.
Over 1,500 courts have been completed through the project so far, through which many existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition are being brought back to life for the benefit of communities through renovation works, and improved court accessibility with new gate-access technology and booking systems.
Alongside the investment, Conwy County Borough Council will work with the LTA to deliver a range of activity at the Bodlondeb courts to benefit communities. This will include weekly organised free park tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience where equipment is provided, meaning that people will not need someone to play with or their own racket. Local Tennis Leagues will also provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active through local competition.
Once reopened, the courts at Bodlondeb park will be free to use between 7am and 9am, and 1pm and 2pm every day. A £4 per hour per court charge will apply at other times. Courts will be bookable online via the LTA Play Tennis website. An Annual Tennis Pass will be available at £39 per household per year, ensuring families can enjoy the courts for less than £1 per game per week.
The park courts at Rhos On Sea, Min y Don, and Pentre Mawr remain open and free of charge, but will shortly become bookable via the LTA Play Tennis so players can find and book a court to ensure availability.
Speaking about the delays to the refurbishment of the tennis courts, a spokesperson for the court contractors Blakedown said:
"We appreciate the patience shown by the residents of Conwy and apologise for the ongoing delays to the completion of the refurbishment of the tennis courts at Bodlondeb Park."
"While there were unavoidable delays in delivery during the summer because of the wet weather, there have been further delays as a result of issues in relation to the technical standards of the resurfacing which has meant it’s not been possible to reopen the courts to the public at this time."
"Our priority is to achieve the best results for residents so that these fantastic tennis courts can be used all year round for many years to come. To deliver this we will be undertaking further remedial work on the courts with the aim of completing and reopening the courts for players in the Spring, 2024."
Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Conwy County Borough 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 Conwy County Borough 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.”
Cllr Aaron Wynne, Conwy County Borough Council Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said:
“We’re delighted to secure this partnership with the LTA that will help provide quality tennis facilities in Conwy County. Once the works have been completed, these facilities will be great for users; whether they are young people who are picking up a racket for the first time and trying out a knock about session, or seasoned tennis enthusiasts booking a match at one of the park courts.
“It’s an important objective for us as a Council to provide sporting opportunities at all levels and encourage people to stay active.”
