All members will be aware that we have been, for some time, considering how we can improve our facilities (in the short and medium terms). This was the focus for the Development Committee which disbanded towards the end of 2023 as the chair of the committee no longer wished to continue. We would like to thank all the Development Committee for their hard work, which will provide a foundation for the Main Committee as we pick up again on this piece of work. The DC were looking at long-term strategies for the club i.e. development opportunities, indoor tennis and floodlighting. However, in the short-term our number one priority is to improve the existing club facilities, ensuring the club is in, and can remain in, a better position to support good tennis. The strategy we will follow, flexing where needed and subject to change based on professional advice, is outlined below.
We have sought advice from Lee West, who is a Director of Sports Facility Planning & Design Ltd and has acted in a consultant capacity for the LTA for over 25 years. He has visited the club and reported back on the current state of the courts. His headline advice is that courts 10 & 11 are at the end of their natural life and therefore we are prioritising their replacement, along with the removal of the trees causing root encroachment around those courts.
To this end we have had the trees below courts 10 & 11 removed. Those between courts 6 & 10 and courts 6 & 9 will be removed in August. We have also engaged a company to resurface courts 10&11; this work will be starting as soon as possible after the removal of those trees.
At the same time courts 5 & 6 will be repainted and, moving forward these courts will continue to be cleaned regularly.
The clay courts will remain in place for the foreseeable future and planned, regular maintenance will extend their life. It is, however, crucial that the clay courts are regularly dragged and watered especially during hot weather. The system has been updated to allow the watering to be done more easily and reliably. This update has included the automatic watering of the courts each morning via a timer, but in hot weather will require the need for additional watering later in the day, via the control panel to use the irrigation system or via the supplied hose pipe. Please note, currently one of the sprinkler heads is in the process of being changed over and until the need head arrives, a small area may require to be watered with the hose pipe.
Courts 1 – 4 will continue to be maintained as they are but, due to significant cost implications, no further work on their surface is currently planned.
Lee West has also advised us regarding the various trees and hedges around the club. You will have already seen that hedges separating courts 2&4 and court 5&7 have been trimmed more dramatically this year. In addition, the overhang over the clay courts has been cut back to alleviate the moss growing on the clay courts and concern about tree roots affecting the foundation of courts 9 & 10. As well as the removal of leylandii as above, the hedge at the back of the clay courts and courts 3&4 will be pollarded. This work will also be done in August.
We are in the process of reviewing how maintenance is done at the club, seeking external professional advice, and we are waiting for their report and advice on maintenance services and how their support might work together with the current arrangements.
We will be looking to see how our own members can help with general facilities up-keep on a voluntary basis. We would like to initiate a WhatsApp group with as many members as possible joining this group so that when minor general maintenance is required, we can put a ‘shout’ out to see who is available and happy to help support the club. Jobs tackled this way might include cleaning windows, picking litter from courts, checking fences, touching up damaged clubhouse paintwork etc etc. This is a way everyone can work together to support, maintain and develop our tennis club community.
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