Outrage as council to start charging for previously free tennis courts

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A council will slap a £5 per hour fee on four tennis courts despite more than 1,000 people signing a petition against the charges.

Tennis courts at Hilly Fields, Telegraph Hill, Catford Bridge and Chinbrook Meadows in Lewisham will be locked up behind gates under the council’s plans.

Residents wanting to use the courts will have to book in advance. They will have the option of either coughing up £5 per hour or buying a £35 yearly ticket, which entitles players to three one-hour sessions per week.

The four tennis courts are currently free to use on a first come, first served basis, but Lewisham council says they are in poor condition and in need of refurbishment.

It has accepted thousands of pounds in cash from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to fund the updates to the courts.

Under the plans, the LTA will manage the four courts. Players will have to book to play through the LTA’s website and access to the courts will be controlled through a gate.

Residents who are against the plans say they fear poorer families will be excluded by the new charges and want the council to halt the LTA-funded refurb to allow them to raise money for the repairs themselves.

A letter signed by more than 50 residents expressing concern about the changes to Hilly Fields tennis courts reads: “Adding in a requirement to register with the LTA website to pay an annual charge and then to book slots when they become available adds several barriers to the casual users who would most benefit from using the courts.”

A petition signed by 1,127 people calling on the council to keep Telegraph Hill courts free reads: “While we acknowledge that the courts are in need of repair, the community have not been allowed to seek out alternative funding which would keep the courts free and open to all.”

The government and the LTA are funnelling £166,301 into the £279,144 renovation of the tennis courts. The remaining £112,843 of cash is being provided by Lewisham council.

The project is part of a nationwide investment by the government and the LTA to refurbish public tennis courts across the UK, according to Lewisham council.

Works to update some of the four courts in Lewisham have already started and are expected to be completed by June 2023.

Lewisham councillor Andre Bourne said: “These four courts are in urgent need of refurbishment and we have received a number of complaints from residents over slippery conditions, crumbling surfaces and rubbish.

“Without this vital investment from the LTA, our courts risk becoming unplayable and having to be closed. After 13 years of government cuts to local authority budgets, working in partnership with groups like the LTA allows us to continue investing in local facilities without having to make cuts to other services.

Julie Porter, chief operating officer at the LTA, said: “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 Lewisham 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.”

Pictured top: Telegraph Hill Park tennis courts (Picture: Robert Firth)