Seven tennis courts across Bexley are set to receive refurbishment works as part of efforts to “rejuvenate tennis courts” in the borough.

The works are part of a partnership between the London Borough of Bexley and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which has received £210,357.85 worth of investment from both parties as well as the Government.

The project is part of a £30 million nationwide investment by the Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, to refurbish thousands of park tennis courts across the UK.

Under the partnership seven tennis courts in Bexley are set to have work done to improve and revive the spaces for tennis players.

Here’s the full list:

  • Belvedere Recreation Ground South 
  • Danson Park 
  • Northumberland Heath Recreation Ground 
  • Russell Park 
  • Sidcup Place
  • Waring Park 
  • West Heath Recreation Ground

The works will involve resurfacing areas, repainting and the addition of new gates on sites to provide Bexley residents with “high quality” tennis spaces.

Works are expected to begin from February 2024.

Cabinet Member for Place, Councillor Richard Diment, said: “This is a fantastic partnership for Bexley that will completely rejuvenate our parks tennis courts and open up the sport to new and existing players. The project will help safeguard tennis provision for years to come.  

“Once the courts are refurbished players will be able to secure their own dedicated play time by booking their game and access the court by pin-entry system.

“Reintroducing booking fees, along with free-to-play slots, means that we can ensure the ongoing upkeep of our tennis courts. 

“I hope these improvements will help us see more people in the borough becoming physically active and maybe we will see a future Wimbledon champion coming from Bexley.”

The investment aims to revamp existing tennis courts, by improving accessibility with new gate-access technology and booking systems online through the LTA.

In addition to the investment, the London Borough of Bexley have also announced plans to work alongside LTA to deliver a range of activities across the park sites, including weekly free park tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels with equipment provided.

Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with the London Borough of Bexley 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 the London Borough of Bexley 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.”