Thanks to a new partnership between Urban Green Newcastle, Newcastle City Council and the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), seven park tennis venues – Armstrong Park, Elswick Park, Exhibition Park, Gosforth Central Park, Leazes Park, Nuns Moor Park, and Paddy Freeman’s Park – will be renovated as part of a £188,000 investment to refurbish public park tennis courts in Newcastle.

The project is part of a nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to many more people. The Parks Tennis Project has already been successfully delivered in North Tyneside.

Carol Pyrah, Chief Executive of Urban Green Newcastle, said: “Tennis is one of the most popular sporting activities in city’s parks, and this investment from the Park Tennis Project will give people access to top quality tennis courts right across Newcastle.

“The funding means we can provide free weekly tennis sessions and create safer environments for people using the courts via new gated access. With improved equipment and better facilities, we hope to see more people taking to the courts all year round.”

The tennis courts in Elswick Park, Gosforth Central Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park will benefit from a full resurfacing. Six of the city’s tennis courts will be fully repainted, and where existing nets and posts are in poor condition, they will be replaced. To help people to find and book a tennis court near them, new gate-access technology and booking systems will also be introduced at all seven park tennis courts.

To ensure the long-term future of the tennis courts and make sure they don’t fall into disrepair, a small booking fee of up to four pounds is being introduced to use the courts at Armstrong Park, Exhibition Park, Gosforth Central Park, Leazes Park, and Paddy Freeman’s Park. The tennis courts at Nuns Moor Park and Elswick Park will remain free. All the money will be reinvested back into the tennis courts for the benefit of local communities.

As part of the new upgrades, free, bookable weekly tennis sessions will be available throughout the year on Saturday and Sunday mornings (weather permitting) as part of the Free Park Tennis programme. Alongside the community outreach and coaching programmes, this project will give more people across the city the opportunity to take up the sport and improve their health and wellbeing.

Open to people of all ages, playing levels and experience, Parks Tennis will also work with local Tennis Leagues to provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active and get involved.

Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Urban Green Newcastle and Newcastle City Council 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 Urban Green Newcastle and Newcastle City Council 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.”

All courts and sessions at all sites will be available to book online via the LTA website, making it far easier to find and book a court or activity.

Works are planned to start at Exhibition Park and Leazes Park first, before moving on to Nunsmoor Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park, followed by the Elswick Park, Gosforth Central Park and Armstrong Park. The works will be staggered so that some facilities will be completed and opened before others, to reduce disruption. Works are typically expected to take between six weeks and two months at each park. Exact start dates are yet to be confirmed as they are weather dependent.

Below you’ll find a helpful set of Frequently Asked Questions about the upgrades to the tennis courts.

Why are the tennis courts in Newcastle’s parks being renovated?

Urban Green Newcastle and Newcastle City Council have secured funding from the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation (delivered by the LTA) to refurbish public park tennis courts in Newcastle.

The Parks Tennis Project is part of a nationwide investment to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to many more people. The Parks Tennis Project has already been successfully delivered in North Tyneside.

Which tennis courts are being renovated?

Armstrong Park
Elswick Park
Exhibition Park
Gosforth Central Park
Leazes Park
Nuns Moor Park
Paddy Freeman’s Park.

When are the works taking place?

Works are planned to start at Exhibition Park and Leazes Park first, before moving on to Nunsmoor Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park, followed by the Elswick Park, Gosforth Central Park and Armstrong Park.

The works will be staggered so that some facilities will be completed and opened before others, to reduce disruption. Works are typically expected to take between six weeks and two months at each park. Exact start dates are yet to be confirmed as they are weather dependent.

Please follow us on social media – Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn – to receive all the latest updates.
 

What upgrades and improvements are taking place?

The tennis courts in Elswick Park, Gosforth Central Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park will benefit from a full resurfacing.

Elswick Park, Exhibition Park, Gosforth Central Park, Leazes Park, Nuns Moor Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park will be repainted.

Where existing nets and posts are in poor condition they will be replaced.

To improve court booking and reduce anti-social behaviour and vandalism, new gate-access technology and booking systems will also be introduced at all seven park tennis courts.

Over time, Free Park Tennis sessions will also be introduced at all parks. When established, they will take place weekly, on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and be delivered all year round (weather and staffing permitting).

Why is Armstrong Park (adjacent to Heaton Park) not receiving any resurfacing/painting work?

Armstrong Park (adjacent to Heaton Park) was renovated in 2019, and an assessment by the LTA found the tennis courts did not require any further work as they meet the required standard. Gated access will be installed – along with the other sites – to improve availability. 

Why are you introducing a charge to use some tennis courts?

It’s important that the new tennis courts are sustainable and money can be set aside for repair and maintenance, ensuring they don’t fall into disrepair.

Introducing a small fee to book a court at some parks will help to build up a fund to maintain courts in future years. It will also support the tennis development programme. We are working with the LTA to ensure there will be weekly free tennis sessions on courts. This means nobody in the local community will be excluded from the chance to pick up a racket and start playing.

What is Free Park Tennis and how can I get involved?

Free Park Tennis will give everyone the opportunity to use and enjoy the tennis courts. Designed for people eight years old and over (under eights can attend when accompanied by an adult), Free Park Tennis will eventually provide free sessions at all parks on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Weather and staffing permitting, they will take place all year round.

More information about Free Park Tennis will be announced later this year. Please sign up to our newsletter or follow us on social media – Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn – to receive all the latest updates.

Which tennis courts will carry a charge to use?

A small booking fee of up to four pounds is being introduced to use the courts at Armstrong Park, Exhibition Park, Gosforth Central Park, Leazes Park, and Paddy Freeman’s Park.

Which tennis courts will be free?

The tennis courts at Nuns Moor Park and Elswick Park will remain free to use but sessions must be booked.

How to do I book a tennis court?

When all the improvement works across all seven parks are complete, members of the public will be able to book courts and sessions at all sites via the LTA website, making it far easier to find and book a court or activity.

Please sign up to the Urban Green Newcastle newsletter, or follow us on social media – Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn – for further updates.

How will I access the tennis courts?

After booking via the LTA website, players will receive a confirmation notice that will include a code that can be used to access the court.

A QR code on the gate to the court will also allow people to book a court on arrival, if available. Please note, all sessions start on the hour. For example, players looking to use a court from 15:00-16:00 must book the court prior to 15:00, otherwise the next available session will be 16:00-17:00.

Why are you introducing gated access to the tennis courts?

Gated access has been piloted at park tennis sites successfully for a number of years, and the evidence from sites across the country is that installing gate access technology actually increases participation. This is because people can book a court online in advance, and know it will definitely be available when they arrive to play with friends and family, meaning its easier to get on court.

It also means that free tennis sessions and coaching can be scheduled on the courts at specific times.
 

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