Newly refurbished tennis courts in Thanet remain unused despite being completed at the start of Summer because there is currently no way to book sessions.
Thanet council and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) joined forces in January for a project to invest £283,234 to renovate six courts at Spencer Square and Montefiore Games Centre in Ramsgate; Memorial Recreation Ground, Broadstairs; Hartsdown Park and Westbrook Games Centre, Margate and St Mildred’s Games Centre in Westgate-on-Sea.
Work had been due to be completed by the end of April, however this overran at courts including Westgate which was still waiting for nets to be installed in June.
Residents are due to be able to book the tennis courts online via the LTA website www.lta.org.uk/play, subject to a booking fee but currently only Broadstairs and Spencer Square in Ramsgate are given as bookable options on the LTA site.
Some residents say Westbrook and Montefiore courts have been used although there does not seem to currently be any booking facility for them.However, according to other residents Montefiore courts are ’empty’.
One resident said: “The council hasn’t sorted out someone to run the keypad system that’s been installed on the gate. Families and locals are turning up to a locked tennis court. Now it’s nearly mid August and the courts are empty.”
One frustrated Westgate tennis player said: “The Westgate court has not been added (to the booking site and it’s impossible to book and get an access code!
“I don’t know what is more egregious, that or the 5 months it took to paint the courts blue and green but it is certainly clear mismanagement.”
The player suggested Thanet council open up for the courts for free use for the remainder of the summer but was told by Cllr Ruth Duckworth, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Growth, that the council “can’t legally offer free sessions because we have awarded a contract to an external party to run the courts.”
A Thanet council spokesperson said the courts are expected to go on the booking system “soon.”
They said: “We’re delighted with the progress that has been made on all our refurbished tennis courts.
“Before we can open them to the public and allow bookings, we need to finalise some aspects of the lease with our new operating partner. This process is almost complete.
“We expect to announce that the courts are available for online booking very soon. Until then, Westgate and the other courts will not be listed for booking online.
“In the meantime, courts can be booked at: Margate Lawn, Margate, St Peter’s, Broadstairs and Spencer Square, Ramsgate
“There are also free to play courts accessible at Palm Bay, Margate and Warre Recreation Ground, Ramsgate.”
They said: “We’re delighted with the progress that has been made on all our refurbished tennis courts..” How can they possibly say that when they were months later than promised – and now they’re ready we can’t actually use them. FFS. 🙄
Well there are people using the Montefiore courts already. Not sure how they are getting access but there are people playing on them.
Likewise at Westbrook. I didn’t see anyone using them for about a month after the court surface was finished and the nets put up, but there have definitely been people using them for most of August… and they are on the push button lock. not left open.
So TDC is ‘delighted’ with having made a complete mess of a simple administrative task.
As an advocate of giving more powers to local rather than national government TDC makes me despair.
TDC is inordinately proud of it’s endless list of errors, failures, miscalculations, inefficiency, etc etc and has no wish to accept any ever existed, so will use language to avoid any hint of accepting there has ever been any form of poor performance.
They must spend more on spin than anything else.
I am glad the tennis courts are free to use at The Warre rec. As there has been no tennis courts there for at least 10 years. They really have no clue. I wonder if they have been paying someone to run them for the last 10 years?
I say, anyone not for Tennis?
you could always paint your garage door and watch that dry while your waiting , its a similar level of excitement to tennis for you
To be delighted with progress being likely a year late is hopefully not how Thanet Council means to go on. To miss out on months of income and not keeping the public updated about the delays is no service to the residents of Thanet. Did they have a project manager at all I wonder. What is the real reason for the delay? Why are we voting for these councils and what do we pay council tax for?
I do think TDC have missed the boat capitalising on these beautiful new courts! IMO they should have been completed by May Bank holiday in time for Wimbledon exploitation!
Plus feel there should be a cheaper option to use the courts during evening use to ensure full use. Plus a. Lower fee for junior use. Living locally I’ve seen these courts only used on the one day so far!!!
Nearly 300 grand to renovate tennis courts? Someone is having a laugh, surely!
There will be an access code available for fire, police & ambulance, looks like a few people know that code 🙂