Victoria Park tennis courts £100,000 refurb underway
Work starts on major project to repair damaged facilities
HE tennis courts in Newbury’s Victoria Park will undergo a £100,000 refurbishment this week to see the damaged facilities returned to their former glory.
The work will be funded from the £600,000 legal settlement secured by Newbury Town Council from Parkway developer Costain last year, together with a £39,893 grant from the Lawn Tennis Association.
Cracks started appearing in the park and surrounding area shortly after Costain conducted water extraction works when building the Parkway shopping centre’s underground car park in 2010.
The cracks damaged sporting facilities in the park, including Newbury’s historic bowls club lawns and a nearby nursery school, and some residents complained of damage in their homes.
A five-year legal battle over responsibility for the cracks ensued, with the town council racking up legal costs in excess of £150,000.
Earlier this year Costain agreed to pay the council a £600,000 out-of-court settlement, which included all legal costs, but stopped short of admitting any liability for the damage caused.
The works will be completed by the end of November and will include a new online booking system called ‘Clubspark’ to allow people to register and book online.
The yearly cost to the public will initially be £36 which will allow a whole family to play unlimited times within a year. You can also book online on a ‘pay and play’ basis, costing £6 per game.
Once you have booked online, you are given an access code to enter the courts, guaranteeing that your court is booked and ready for you when you arrive. Further details on the booking process will be on the Newbury Town Council website www.newbury.gov.uk nearer the time.
Dave Goff, leader of Newbury Town Council said: “We have waited a long time for this and we are very excited that finally the courts will be refurbished to a high standard and will be available at a very reasonable rate for members of the public to give tennis a try or enjoy improving their skills.”
The contract for the work has been awarded to Chiltern Sports Contractors Ltd and the council is also working with the Lawn Tennis Association on this project.
