The future of Nottingham Tennis Centre has been secured and the new leaseholder has already promised to upgrade the award-winning site. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is taking a long-term lease of the centre and will take over its operation from Nottingham City Council next month.
The LTA, the national governing body for tennis in Great Britain, has also announced “exciting plans” for new investment in the centre. The 39-court centre on University Boulevard was built by the council and opened by Princess Diana in 1990.
But in 2019, the council announced it needed to make significant savings of £15.8 million in its 2020 budget and was looking for a new leaseholder for the site. The move will save the city council £140,000 over the next two years, as it will no longer have to subsidise the running of the centre.
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The LTA said it was keen to protect the site as it is one of Britain’s most important tournament and tennis venues. From May 1, the LTA will take on a 150-year lease and the centre’s operation in full.
As part of a “transformation”, the outdoor hard courts will be resurfaced, outdoor floodlights will be upgraded, and new fencing will be provided around outdoor courts. The ‘air bubble’ covering three courts will also be upgraded.
There will later be further development on-site including the installation of four more indoor courts under a new bubble. Wheelchair tennis champion James Shaw, who trains at Nottingham Tennis Centre, said: “The fact that the centre is now secured for the future, as well as the investment, is great news.
“The centre is the reason I got into tennis because of the great facilities. I have trained there for 20 years and it has been really important for me. The plans sound amazing and hopefully the centre can be more widely used.”
Labour MP for Nottingham South, Lilian Greenwood, added: “ Nottingham Tennis Centre is a fantastic venue that plays host to some of the UK’s top tennis tournaments but it’s also a well-used centre for local residents. I’m delighted that the LTA has ambitious plans to invest in the centre, creating world-class training facilities, securing its future and continuing to provide the community and public tennis facilities that my constituents enjoy.”
Cllr Eunice Campbell-Clark, the council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture, and Schools said the authority was “so pleased” to be able to move forward with the transfer.
She said: “We truly believe this agreement is the best way of building tennis in the city and beyond using the strong foundations that are already in place at the centre.”
Gary Stewart, LTA Head of Operations, added: “We’re delighted to be taking over the lease and running of the centre. This is a strategically important site for British tennis, and this move will allow us to safeguard its future.
“Work has already begun on upgrading the existing tennis facilities and there are more plans in the pipeline, as we look to add additional indoor courts over the next 12 months. These changes will help us support the thriving community tennis programme as well as provide infrastructure for events throughout the year. The tennis courts will be amongst the best in the country, but still available for the local community to use.”
