Could a future Wimbledon champion come from Salford? An investment of more than half a million pounds to develop tennis facilities in the city's parks and boost participation in the sport has been given the go-ahead.
The initiative from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is called Ready to Rally. Some £272,000 for the scheme will come from the LTA and the same amount is being ploughed in from the city council's parks capital budget and deals with developers over funding for community projects - known as Section 106 agreements.
The LTA and Salford council's green space team have agreed to bring 21 tennis courts up to "a good standard". Funding covers core costs of improving court surfaces, nets and electronic access gates along with some fencing costs.
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The matched funding will also enable some courts to be reconfigured and disability access. Charges for use have been set in consultation with the LTA and are comparable with those in Bury and Manchester and in line with the use of facilities at Salford's leisure centre s, the city's greenspace officer Annie Surtees said.
Players will be allowed to book for a maximum of two hours at a cost of £4 per hour. Annual adult membership - for anyone aged 18 and above (limited to a maximum of 10 hours per week) will cost £30.
Twelve-month junior membership, with unlimited use for anyone aged 18 or below, will cost £10. Family membership for a family of up to two adults and three children living at the same address (also limited to 10 hours per week) will cost £55.
Three courts at Albert Park will be re-coloured and two of its courts and two mini courts will get new fencing and net posts and a new gate at a cost of £22,625. A court at Boothsbank Park will get similar treatment at a cost of £26,275.
At B uile Hill Park three courts will get the same as will a basketball court at a cost of £69,250. Elsewhere, at Eccles Recreation Ground where there are two courts, a new access gate will cost £22,244.
Another £136,000 will be spent at Lightoaks Park building two new courts, fencing, gate and nets, but this one is subject to further funding approval by the council. A further £179,850 has been earmarked to resurface six courts and install floodlighting at Parr Fold Park and £96,850 is to be spent at Victoria Park on resurfacing, fencing and a gate, where there are four courts.
Councillor Barbara Bentham, Salford's lead member of environment and community safety, gave the thumbs up to the scheme after being briefed by Ms Surtees. Asked by Coun Bentham for assurances that tennis in the city would not be "elitist" Ms Surtees said that the evidence is that in other towns where there had been the introduction of charges and improvement of facilities there had been "significant increases" in the number of users.
"It hasn't acted as a barrier to engagement," she said. "And it has enabled us to establish a 'sink fund'. "Part of that will be a large-scale engagement and coaching programme which we're developing with Salford Community Leisure (SCL) and an organisation called We Do Tennis."
She said that there would also be a targeted programme of work with children and young. "Although tennis is sometimes seen as an elitist sport, actually working with the LTA and SCL on pilot schemes, we have found it can be a great leveller," she continued.
"These perceptions that 'I'm too fat', or 'I'm too slow' [can be beaten] and tennis can overcome those," she said. "Perhaps some people who wouldn't be involved in football or other traditional activities that actually people can get involved."
Coun Bentham commented that the tennis scheme would be open to non-members and would be an "exclusive" club. Ms Surtees assured her that children who don't have the money to pay for using the facilities would be able to play tennis via SCL's holiday activities and through schools.
"The whole investment programme is going to be about the improvement of the facilities and encouragement and free access to rackets and balls," she said. "There will also be access to equipment on sites. We will possibly have our next Wimbledon champion from around here."
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