Have your say: ‘Pay-as-you-play’ proposal for public tennis courts

Residents are being asked their views on plans to improve and update Trafford’s public tennis courts.

Trafford Council has teamed up with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to upgrade the borough’s 34 tennis courts. Currently, public tennis courts can be found in Ashton Park, Moor Nook Park and Walton Park in Sale and many of them are in poor condition. 

The LTA is offering a potential funding package of £125,000 to invest in the work and will work with the Council to improve, promote and market the facilities for players across the borough.

It will mean 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 the usage of the courts.

Cllr Jo Harding, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Strategic Partnerships, said: “This project could result in improvements to all of our 34 tennis courts across the borough. To fund the work, we are planning to move to a different operating model where there will be a small charge at peak times. We are now appealing for residents’ views on the plans through our latest consultation and I urge as many people as possible to take part.

“All views will be taken on board, and it is important to note that we will still be hosting free tennis sessions at our courts and will be engaging closely with our communities on the changes.”     

The public consultation is open until 13th March 2023.