University expands tennis facilities with new weatherproof court
Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Example of the weatherproof tennis court coming to Reading.
A new tennis centre is to be built at the University of Reading – making the University tennis courts one of the largest and most versatile spaces to play in Reading.
Three brand new tennis courts will be built next to the University’s five existing courts at Whiteknights campus and will be housed underneath a weatherproof dome. The domed courts will be weather tight, floodlit, insulated and heated in winter, allowing for play during the colder months of the year.
Along with the creation of the new tennis dome, all five existing outdoor courts will be resurfaced and have new floodlights as part of the project, bringing the total number of tennis courts on campus from five to eight. The expansion will make the University’s courts the most extensive tennis facility in Reading.
The project is set to cost approximately £850,000 and is part-funded by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). Up to £300,000 funding will be contributed by the LTA, which will go towards fitting out the courts to LTA-approved standards.
John Golding, LTA’s regional manager, says: “We are delighted to be able to support the University of Reading with the development of the SportsPark Tennis Centre. There’s already an extensive community coaching programme, good links with the local tennis club and an extensive student tennis programme. Investing in the facilities at the University ensures this programme will develop further.”
Construction is set to begin in June and will be completed in August 2017. To avoid disruption to students during the University’s ‘quiet period’, noisy work will not be carried out before Friday 9 June, in consideration of the exam period.
The construction of the domed courts and improvements to the existing courts is great news for the University community – by having weatherproof LTA-approved courts, students, staff and the local community can enjoy first-rate tennis facilities all year round.
Students and staff will be able to enjoy the new facilities at discounted preferential rates, and the courts will be fully open to the general public.
Iain Akhurst, Director of Sport at SportsPark, says: “Having this fantastic tennis centre means we’ll be able to encourage greater numbers of our students and the local community to participate in tennis. As well as the support from the LTA, we’re working with Gary Drake Tennis to develop an extensive programme of coaching for both our students and the local community.”
Visit the SportsPark page for further details of sports facilities at the University of Reading.