a) Council Provision

The Council provides 37 courts at 9 sites. A plan of the distribution of courts is provided at Appendix 1.4 A to this paper. In real terms income at constant prices has reduced by an average of 22% since 1996 with a range between 8% and 53%. An analysis of the trading pattern is provided at Appendix 1.4 B to this paper. The decline is partly due to expanded and improved private and voluntary sector provision e.g. West Hants Club and Victoria Avenue LTC.

Bournemouth Tennis Centre utilisation has seen a slow decline over the past 5-6 years, but with West Hants Club now appointed as the operator and investing in facility development and marketing, this trend is now being reversed.

The Play Tennis initiative established in 1994 provides a focus for tennis development on public courts and has now been expanded to include the private clubs of West Hants, Southbourne and Victoria Avenue. West Hants now offers a structured tennis development programme for talented youngsters within the conurbation. Currently there is a difficulty in placing tennis professionals at Swanmore Gardens and Redhill Park where both the previous coaches have moved on to other sites. The broader membership of the Play Tennis Initiative provides the focus to encourage all providers of tennis coaching opportunities to extend their provision out into the community.

In 1996 there was pressure from the tennis professionals to provide floodlighting at Redhill Park, Shelley Park, Swanmore Gardens and Winton Recreation Ground. With the exception of Swanmore Gardens, consent for planning was achieved in 1998. However, in the absence of any offer of contributory funding from the site professionals, progress has been limited to one court at Redhill. There has been additional provision of six floodlit courts at the Sir David English Sports Centre. The level of floodlit provision available from Autumn 2001 is considered to be sufficient to meet the anticipated demand.

b) School Provision

Courts on school sites are primarily used by the individual schools. Public use is available on the courts at Oakmead School, Bournemouth School and Bournemouth School for Girls.

c) Private Club Provision

Bournemouth has a significant and thriving private Club sector through West Hants Club, Victoria Avenue LTC and Southbourne LTC. Expanded provision is proposed at Southbourne through additional floodlighting and at Victoria Avenue with a new pavilion and additional two courts. These clubs, together with Bournemouth Tennis Centre, provide the opportunity for players who want to improve their standard and play competitive tennis.

The Civil Service Sports Club ground at Kinson is currently being redeveloped shortly and tennis courts are being re-provided within Pelhams Park to be funded and managed by the developer. The new courts will accommodate the displaced Civil Service Tennis Club alongside public use.

d) Council Provision for the Future

It is proposed that, as with Bowls, performance criteria are set for Tennis provision, based upon income per court, with a suggested guideline of £1,000 per court. Once a site falls below this performance criterion, it would trigger a performance review to consider:-

Tennis development work and cost reduction measures

• Potential transfer of the facility into a site-based trust
• Potential of courts for alternative leisure use.

It is acknowledged that as with Bowls it is important to have a balanced geographical spread of Tennis courts and that at certain sites the courts are an integral part of the park. However effective use of open space may, on occasion, suggest a more beneficial and appropriate alternative use.

Provision in the area has expanded since 1996 and the current provision is West Hants Club (4 courts), Talbot Heath School (1 court) and the Bournemouth Tennis Centre (3 courts - winter only). In addition there are 6 courts at the Dorset Racquets Club in Poole and 3 at the David Lloyd Centre in Ringwood. Bournemouth Tennis Centre is the only indoor facility open to the public for casual pay and play. The life expectancy of the dome will expire before the end of this strategic plan period. It is proposed that discussions take place between the Council, West Hants Club and the LTA in an endeavour to secure the continuity of a public indoor tennis facility for the town.

Squash continues to decline both nationally and locally. Locally, the courts at Littledown Centre and the 3 courts at Meyrick Park have been converted to accommodate health and fitness activities. The West Hants Club offers 4 courts and it is likely that squash within Bournemouth will be focused around that facility. Small scale provision is also available at some hotels in the town.