Wandsworth Tennis club must set up complaints hotline

A tennis club must set up a complaints hotline for angry locals after losing a controversial bid to sell booze until midnight, writes Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter.

People living near Magdalen Park Lawn Tennis Club said they feared they wouldn’t be able to sleep and that the venue could become a ‘nightclub’ if the application to open later on Wednesdays and Saturdays was granted.

Wandsworth council’s licensing sub-committee has instead given the club the go-ahead to sell booze until 10pm on Saturdays – just one hour later than before.

The venue has also been granted permission to open and sell alcohol from 11.30am

instead of 6pm every day.  It can sell booze until 11pm on Mondays to Fridays and until 9pm on Sundays – the same as before.

The club’s application to play music after 11pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays was refused.

The venue was also told to create a complaints hotline and invite locals to meetings to discuss any issues.

A petition objecting to the application was signed by 114 people living in nearby homes, while more than 40 objections were lodged with the council.

Penny Sloman, operations manager, apologised to anyone “affected by the noise.

Pictured: Magdalen Park Lawn Tennis Club – credit Google Streetview