Now that all six courts are in good shape and the dugout is an excellent addition on the bottom courts, providing much needed shelter and storage, next on the agenda of improvements are:
LED Floodlighting
Floodlight costs have soared dramatically in the last couple of years, thanks to high electricity tariffs and the difficulty of obtaining replacement bulbs and associated parts, with prices ever escalating. The running cost of LED lights is far less than traditional bulbs, so it makes sense for the club to convert to LEDs. But, of course, there is a large initial installation cost to cover before any savings in day-to-day running can be made.
After much research by Alex Laude, Trevor Herron and Barry Chung, a supplier, One Electrical, who are based in Manchester, have been selected to go ahead with installing LED lights on both sets of our courts. An estimate of the overall costs is £16,000, which is far more competitive than other quotes and estimates we have had.
So, as long as there are no last minute snags, we should have LEDs providing far cheaper floodlighting for evening sessions and private hire, and vastly reduce our maintenance costs for the lights.
Automated Gate Access
One way that the club can bring in extra funds is through 'Pay as You Play' bookings. Currently the top three courts are available for anyone to book on an ad hoc basis, paying an hourly rate to play. To make this court booking option work better we need an automatic gate access system, where a prospective player making a booking pays the fee online, receives a confirmation email containing a code with which they can enter the top courts through the gate that is linked to the booking system. The gate automatically shuts behind them when they leave, so that only those who have paid (or members) can gain access to the courts.
Alex Laude has put in a lot of time, liaising with the LTA in order to obtain a grant from them to install an automated gate access system. When the original plan of a system powered from the mains, which the LTA offered a grant for, looked like being a non-starter, due to problems with cabling electricity to the courts, Alex pursued a battery-operated solution, but the LTA stalled on this proposal. In recent months, though, we have made a breakthrough in the cabling problem, and will have engineers install the necessary cabling through a conduit from the clubhouse and under the road.
With the prospect of a powered solution in the offing, Alex once again applied for LTA funding, armed with a quote from CIA Fire & Security to install a system at a cost of £6,650. This time the LTA complied with the request, and will be providing a grant for this initial outlay.
Annual costs will be in the region of £345 for the first year and £670 for subsequent years, but it is anticipated that the system will pay for itself and add much needed funds for the club with additional pay-as-you-play bookings, particularly as the system should integrate with floodlights.