Local park tennis courts in Mid Sussex set for renovation

- 14/07/2023

Local park tennis courts in Mid Sussex set for renovation
  • Mid Sussex District Council and the LTA agree partnership to breathe new life into local park tennis courts in East Grinstead 
  • The project will see £42,192.33 of investment at the public parks at Mount Noddy Recreation Ground 
  • Investment comes from the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation’s Park Tennis Project, being delivered by the LTA 

Mid Sussex District Council and the LTA have announced a partnership to invest in and refurbish public park tennis courts in East Grinstead. In total, two park tennis courts will be renovated, with investment of £42,192.33 helping ensure that quality facilities are available for the local community.   

The project is part of a nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to many more people. This investment will see thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of communities across the country through renovation works, and improved court accessibility with new gate-access technology and booking systems. 

Park tennis courts are vital in providing opportunities for children and adults to get active, delivering significant physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits to participants. Accessible facilities in parks are particularly critical to opening up the sport to those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and women and girls.  

The investment of £42,192.33 comes from the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation.  

Councillor Chris Hobbs, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Customer Services, said: “I am excited to see that these tennis courts are being refurbished and that we are continuing to secure investment to enhance our local leisure facilities for the community.  

“There are a number of improvements to our leisure facilities planned across the whole District to ensure that our communities have access to a whole host of sports.” 

Alongside the investment, Mid Sussex District Council and local tennis providers will also work with the LTA to deliver a range of activity across the park sites. This will include a weekly organised free park tennis session for all ages, playing levels and experience where equipment is provided, meaning that people will not need someone to play with or their own racket. Local Tennis Leagues will also provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active through local competition.   

The park venue being renovated is Mount Noddy Recreation Ground, but investment will also see new gate-access technology installed at Beech Hurst Gardens, Haywards Heath. All courts and sessions at all sites will be available to book online via the LTA website. 

Work on sites is anticipated to start July 2023 and be completed by August 2023.  

Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: 

“We are delighted to be working with Mid Sussex District Council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active. This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project, and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come. We will also be working closely with Mid Sussex District Council to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, and open up our sport to many more people.”