'Unplayable' Victoria Park tennis courts closed due to cracks

Newbury Town Council said it had taken the decision to close them until further notice as the surface is "deteriorating and unsuitable for public use."
Cracks and subsidence in the park and surrounding area appeared shortly after Costain conducted water extraction works when building the Parkway shopping centre’s underground car park in 2010.
The town council launched legal proceedings against Parkway owners Standard Life Investments shortly after the damage appeared and the ongoing dispute has racked up costs in excess of £85,000 for the town council
Leader Julian Swift-Hook said, “The tennis court facility in Victoria Park is very well used and we are sorry to have to close it, however, we cannot allow their use when the surface is clearly becoming unplayable”.
A statement from the council said it is looking into installing new surfacing in the future which it hopes will coincide with the opening of the new Victoria Park café facility in 2015.
For more, see this week's Newbury Weekly News, out on Thursday.