A South London council will slap a £5 per hour fee on four tennis courts despite over 1,000 people signing a petition against the charges. 

Tennis courts at Hilly Fields, Telegraph Hill, Catford Bridge and Chinbrook Meadows in Lewisham will be locked up behind gates under the local council’s plans.

Residents wanting to use the courts will have to book in advance.

They will have the option of either coughing up £5 per hour or buying a £35 yearly ticket, which entitles players to three one-hour sessions per week. 

The four tennis courts are currently free to use on a first come first serve basis, but Lewisham Council says they are in poor condition and in need of refurbishment.

It has accepted thousands of pounds in cash from sports organisation, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to fund the updates to the courts.

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Under the plans, the LTA will manage the four courts.

Players will have to book to play through the LTA’s website and access to the courts will be controlled through a gate. 

Residents who are against the plans say they fear poorer families will be excluded by the new charges and want the council to halt the LTA-funded refurb to allow them to raise money for the repairs themselves. 

A letter signed by over 50 local residents expressing concern about the changes to Hilly Fields tennis courts reads: “At present users self-organise themselves to manage the use of the courts when they are busy, allowing a wide range of people to turn up and play. 

“Adding in a requirement to register with the LTA website to pay an annual charge and then to book slots when they become available adds several barriers to the casual users who would most benefit from using the courts.

"Courts are also used for other activities, again supporting physical activity by local residents who may not otherwise have opportunities.”

A petition signed by 1,127 people calling on the council to keep Telegraph Hill courts free reads: “Lewisham Council have decided that the Telegraph Hill tennis courts will receive funding from the Lawn Tennis Association.

"However, in exchange for this funding, the courts will operate on a locked membership fee and booking system. Currently, the courts are free to all: no membership fees, no booking system.

“Whilst we acknowledge that the courts are in need of repair, the local community have not been allowed to seek out alternative funding which would keep the courts free and open to all.”

The government and the LTA are funnelling £166,301 into the £279,144 renovation of the tennis courts.

The remaining £112,843 of cash is being provided by Lewisham Council. 

The project is part of a nationwide investment by the government and the LTA to refurbish public tennis courts across the UK, according to Lewisham Council.

Works to update some of the four courts in Lewisham have already started and are expected to be completed by June 2023. 

Cllr Andre Bourne, Lewisham Council’s cabinet member for leisure said: “We are happy to be working with the LTA to properly invest in our tennis courts for the long-term and make sure that excellent sports facilities are available for our residents right across Lewisham.

“These four courts are in urgent need of refurbishment and we have received a number of complaints from residents over slippery conditions, crumbling surfaces and rubbish. 

"Without this vital investment from the LTA, our courts risk becoming unplayable and having to be closed.

"After 13 years of government cuts to local authority budgets, working in partnership with groups like the LTA allows us to continue investing in local facilities without having to make cuts to other services.

“We have continued to meet regularly with local residents and court users to keep them updated about the plans for the refurbishment and we look forward to welcoming people back once the works are complete.”

Julie Porter, chief operating officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Lewisham Council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active.

"This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project, and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come.

"We will also be working closely with Lewisham Council to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, and open up our sport to many more people.”