Havant MP Alan Mak welcomes £230,000 Government-backed tennis court refurbishment project

He visited courts at Purbrook Heath and Emsworth Recreation Ground to see how facilities have been improved as part of a nationwide scheme by the Government and the Lawn Tennis Association.

The Parks Tennis Project aims to bring existing park courts in poor or unplayable condition back to life and make the sport more accessible for all.

More than 1,000 public tennis courts across the country have now been refurbished thanks to a £21.6m investment from the Government and £8.4m from the LTA.

The Government is keen to encourage people to be more active, improving their health and cutting NHS waiting lists.

The local £218,000 scheme, to which Havant Borough Council is adding £12,000 in developer contributions, also includes courts at Havant Park, Bidbury Mead at Bedhampton, Hayling Park, Waterlooville Recreation Ground and Cowplain Recreation Ground.

The courts are operated by the National Tennis Association in partnership with the council.

From June to August, courts at the seven venues had 1,996 bookings for a total of 2,632 hours.

You can now pay as you go, with a nominal fee of £6 per hour, or you can buy an annual pass for £36 a year per household.

Mr Mak said: "I’m delighted that Government funding and partnership working with the LTA and local council mean our tennis courts have received upgrades which encourage more residents to pick up a racket and play. The courts are popular with local residents and a big asset for the community, so I’m glad they’ve benefitted from these improvements.”

Courts can be booked using the dedicated booking platform for each venue. Go to https://havantparkstennis.org.uk/.