Image
The three tennis courts were reopened in March 2021 following refurbishment thanks to an £85,000 project fund, secured by North Somerset Council from Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association.
The project included resurfacing of the courts and installing new secure fencing with an automated gate access system. When users book online they are provided with an access code for the keypad on the entry gate.
The courts are currently open between 7am and 9pm (last one hour slot starts at 8pm) every day. When booking there are two payment options:
- Pay and Play – £6 for an hour on court, with each session bookable for a maximum of two hours.
- Annual membership – £35 allowing anyone in a household to book the courts for a year at no additional cost.
To book a court at Ashcombe Park, go to https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/AshcombePark or www.n-somerset.gov.uk/ashcombetenniscourts.
Since launching, over 4,000 bookings have been made and more than 260 annual memberships taken up. The money from bookings and annual memberships pay for the regular maintenance of the courts with any surplus funding put towards improving Ashcombe Park.
Tennis courts are also available in other locations across North Somerset, including:
- Salthouse Fields Tennis Courts in Clevedon, owned and managed by Clevedon Town Council – three courts available free of charge on a ‘turn up and play’ basis.
- Portishead Lawn Tennis Club – opened two newly built courts last week (Sunday 3 July), so they now have five courts. Public ‘Pay and Play’ courts are available to book at: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/PLTC.
- Hutton Moor Leisure Centre – three floodlit tennis courts can be booked by both members and non-members in person, by calling 01934 425900 or through the centre’s website at www.leisurecentre.com/hutton-moor-leisure-centre. The hire cost for non-members starts at £7.40 per court per hour.
Councillor Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council's executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: "It’s great to see that people have been using the courts at Ashcombe Park and there’s clearly a demand for this type of facility.
“We're planning to replace the successful tennis community coach position, which is currently vacant, to provide sessions for schools, community groups and to generally get people interested in tennis through community engagement.
“I’m delighted to see the two new courts open at Portishead Lawn Tennis Club, providing additional facilities for people living in the north of the area.”