New Café in Central Park

The reason for the tennis courts is the LTA are paying for them. Sadly, most, if not all, council new projects are determined not by local need, but what national qwango funding is out there. It's a centralised way of controlling what councils "invest in". There have been several howlers recently up at the park with more to follow.
The big existing kids playpark near the life centre was only built a few years back and is still in good order.
Obviously somebody's mate owns a national company that manufactures these things at vast expense, so, of course, hundreds of parks  are getting a needless "upgrade". People have said the money would be spent better elsewhere in the park, but of course the money is only available for the equipment, nothing else.
As to the tennis courts, the capital funding is already secured in the multi million funding deal, but there is nothing in the kitty to actually pay for their future management, security and upkeep, and the council have no intention whatsoever of paying for future overheads. They also have no intention of running a cafe that doesn't at least break even, Recipe for future problems, and maybe the tennis courts will be built but never used. Maybe they'll become a private members' club with no access for the genral public, but built at public expense. But hey, that's what happens when manufacturing demand and mates' interests and profits comes before community need. No austerity for them.

Yeah, another over reaction to (some) public interest (the relatively small achievements, in relation to top players, of Andy Murray). Never any middle ground just a drift from one extreme to the other. The same thing happening with ethnic minorities and females having so called top jobs. The best person for the job should be given it no matter what their sex, race or religion and not just a scheme to please certain individuals/groups.

Devonpart Park tennis court are well used

beesrus wrote:

The reason for the tennis courts is the LTA are paying for them. Sadly, most, if not all, council new projects are determined not by local need, but what national qwango funding is out there. It's a centralised way of controlling what councils "invest in". There have been several howlers recently up at the park with more to follow.
The big existing kids playpark near the life centre was only built a few years back and is still in good order.
Obviously somebody's mate owns a national company that manufactures these things at vast expense, so, of course, hundreds of parks  are getting a needless "upgrade". People have said the money would be spent better elsewhere in the park, but of course the money is only available for the equipment, nothing else.
As to the tennis courts, the capital funding is already secured in the multi million funding deal, but there is nothing in the kitty to actually pay for their future management, security and upkeep, and the council have no intention whatsoever of paying for future overheads. They also have no intention of running a cafe that doesn't at least break even, Recipe for future problems, and maybe the tennis courts will be built but never used. Maybe they'll become a private members' club with no access for the genral public, but built at public expense. But hey, that's what happens when manufacturing demand and mates' interests and profits comes before community need. No austerity for them.

Very true, despite austerity new tennis centres are popping up all over the place it beggars believe. Our children now get weekly tennis coaching.