Public tennis courts across Altrincham are to be improved and updated as part of a new scheme that will also see players having to pay to play at peak times.
Trafford Council have agreed to work with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) on the project, which will see £125,000 spent on improving and resurfacing courts across the borough.
Many of Trafford’s 34 courts – which include courts in Stamford Park in Hale, John Leigh Park in Altrincham and Pickering Lodge in Timperley – are in a poor condition.
But the improvement will necessitate Trafford Council and the LTA moving to a model where players are charged a small fee of around £3 to £5 a session at peak times during the day.
The charge will cover general and scheduled maintenance, including the introduction of a specialist operator, to increase and sustain usage of the courts.
It’s not yet clear how the payment scheme will operate.
Cllr Jo Harding, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Strategic Partnerships, said: “This is fantastic news as it will result in improvements to all of our 34 tennis courts across the borough.
“Sport and health and wellbeing are hugely important and I am delighted that our tennis courts will be made suitable for budding Boris Beckers now and in the future. There will be a small charge at peak times but this is needed to pay for the work and is a model used in other areas.
“We will still be hosting free tennis sessions at our courts and will be engaging closely with our communities on the changes.”
