It will not have gone unnoticed that the village tennis court is in a very poor condition. This is an issue that your new Parish Council (PC) is currently attempting to address. We had hoped to demonstrate visible progress before the Autumn but, the weed growth – both on and around the court – must be treated and removed before we can embark on our planned refurbishment. We hope to make progress over the quieter winter months with a view to having the court in a much better condition for next summer.
The Plan
Firstly, we have begun to tackle the weed and moss growth and are aiming to put in place a court maintenance regime over the winter months. In the Spring, we are hoping to have the court power washed, get the surface repaired and have new court hardware (net and posts) installed. The PC is at present speaking with specialist contractors to establish the cost of the work. Our aim is to provide a restored facility, with improved access arrangements, if possible.
Court Use
The court is a public facility and should be available for use by residents. We want to ensure that anyone who wants to use it is able to easily and safely. At present, there is a group that regularly gathers to play Pickleball on the court. Pickleball is a form of short tennis, originally from America, but which is gathering more of a following in the UK of late. Currently, games are played within chalk lines put down by the playing group and the PC sees here, growth potential for all ages and abilities, co-existing with the traditional game of tennis. We will be working with our local Pickleball community to find ways to make sure the two sports can both use the court.
Access & Security
At present, access and security is by padlock and key. We are aware that there are many keys held by residents and are attempting to contact keyholders to gauge interest in tennis and court usage potential. We plan to look into alternative, more sophisticated access options and are consulting Somerset Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in order to benefit from their expertise.
Do you have a tennis court key? If you do and are no longer in need of it, we would be grateful if you could please return it to the PC.
Updates
This is the first of what we intend will be periodic updates posted on the PC website. We would also be delighted to hear from the Cotford tennis community regarding forming an “interest group” to work together and help ensure we going to create a facility that meets the needs of those who want to use it.
