Park Tennis Courts Upgrade To Begin

Work to upgrade the tennis courts in Market Harborough’s Welland Park will start next week.

The well-used public courts will be re-surfaced and new gate access systems installed after the Lawn Tennis Association awarded over £80,000 to Harborough District Council to fund it.

The works will mean the courts will be closed for around six weeks from Monday and the park’s Welland Park Road car park will also be shut for the duration of them.

The access systems will allow for a new booking system to be introduced, ensuring as many people as possible have the opportunity to use the courts and play tennis for free.

Cllr Jo Asher, Cabinet lead for Culture, Leisure, Economy and Tourism, said: “We are excited to be able to upgrade these important facilities for our residents and support the LTA’s aim to grow tennis by making it relevant, accessible, welcoming and enjoyable.”

The project is part of more than £30 million of nationwide investment by the UK government and LTA Tennis Foundation to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to  more people.

Chief executive of the LTA, Scott Lloyd, said: “We are delighted to be working with Harborough District Council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for people to pick up a racket and get active.

“This investment from the UK government and LTA Tennis Foundation will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come. We will also be working closely with the council to ensure that the local community has a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, ensuring that we open up our sport to many more people.”