Tennis In Elmbridge

Introduction

10/03/2023: In April 2021 Elmbridge Borough Council launched its upgraded Parks Tennis Scheme, which includes; membership, pay & play, coaching packages and general hire passes. The upgraded scheme has been well received and the court improvement works have been underway since 2021.

The Park Tennis Officers have been informed that due to the increase in maintenance and operating costs for the Park Tennis courts, the Council has made the decision to increase the fees from the 1st April 2023, having had the prices frozen for two years and after reviewing the fees for leisure facilities.

The new fees as of the 1st April 2023 will be:

• Play Tennis Pass: £40 annually
• Pay and Play: £5.50 per hour

Residents in receipt of low-income benefits will still be able to apply for a free Play Tennis Pass, please contact the Parks Tennis Team by email to request the details: parkstennis@elmbridge.gov.uk. 

Home page notification

Posted on the 10/03/2023 to the 27/04/2003 when it was then moved to this page.

Price increase notification, 10/03/2023: Important to note, membership charges for the Play Tennis Pass will  increase to £40 per year and pay & play will increase to £5.50 per hour from 1st  April 2023. 

Please read our Charges FAQ page before contacting the Council about this change. We will respond to questions that are not answered by the information on the FAQ page and we will add any new relevant responses which we have not covered on the FAQ page.

1) Why will residents have to pay an increased fee to access tennis courts from 1st April 2023?

The Council has an obligation to maintain tennis courts at high standards for players to enjoy the game safely. The cost to maintain the courts has increased and they need regular upgrades to meet satisfactory safety standards.

To improve the players’ experience, we introduced electronic gates and an online booking system in 2017 which have to be maintained and therefore incur costs. The online booking system enables player to choose where and when they want to play. The gate technology is a deterrent to vandalism and limit the access to only those who have booked to play. 

Tennis court maintenance costs need to be managed carefully to ensure the facilities are sustainable for the future. The income from the annual memberships and pay & play system contributes towards the maintenance, although will not fully cover all costs. 

2) What does this mean for the players who have signed up for the Play Tennis Pass?

The new Play Tennis Pass charge will effect new sign ups from the 1st April 2023 and current players who renew their pass from the 1st April 2023. If you sign up or renew before the 1st April 2023 you will pay the current £36 fee for the Play Tennis Pass.

If you decide not to renew your Play Tennis Pass, then you do not need to and you can delete the reminder emails when they are sent out automatically by ClubSpark.

If you decide to stop your Play Tennis Pass membership now there is no refund as per our terms, you can continue to use the courts without any additional charges until your membership expires then delete the automatic reminder emails.

3) Does everyone under the court booking need to pay to use the courts?

No, only one player in your booking needs to pay for the court through the annual membership or pay & play option. The Play Tennis Pass and pay & play are not for the receipt or delivery of tennis coaching or non-tennis play activities. 

4) Charging an increased fee seems to go against the idea of making tennis accessible for everyone. What are your views on this?

The gate access system is operated in partnership with the LTA whose objectives are to grow and sustain the sport. We want to grow tennis in Elmbridge and get as many people to play as possible. We are keen to develop a strong tennis community in Elmbridge where everyone; children, families and people of all ages can enjoy the game.

However, in the long term, we need to bear in mind that tennis courts require investment to keep them in safe playable conditions. The cost to maintain the courts has increased since the 1st April 2021 when we launched the upgraded scheme.

5) Will there still be any Free Tennis opportunities?

Yes, we will still be providing free membership passes to those on low income, and targeted groups to increase access to the courts. Please email the Parks Tennis Team for the application information: parkstennis@elmbridge.gov.uk

We will continue to work in partnership with the LTA to make sure there will be regular opportunities to have a go at tennis for free at various sites and events across the Borough.

The tennis coaching providers offer free weekly sessions during term time with their coaching teams, details will be posted on the relevant venue pages.

6) Will I still be able to access Parks coaching without a membership?

Yes, you will still be able to access Parks coaching with one of our authorised providers without a Parks membership, however if you wish to play outside of lessons you will need an annual membership or use the pay & play option. Authorised providers are stated on the relevant venue pages and on the main Tennis in Elmbridge coaching page. 

7) What does this mean for court maintenance?

We are liaising with the Green Spaces team and the gate company to deal with any issues as they come up and to organise a regular schedule of checks and base maintenance, so the courts are playable year-round.

Income raised through annual membership and pay & play aids the Council investment into future capital court works, for example, court painting, re-surfacing, and fencing.

For information on the current court imporvement works please click here.

8) Why were court charges introduced on the 1st April 2021?

For details on why the Parks Tennis Scheme was upgraded on the 1st of April 2021, please see the original membership FAQ page to answer your questions: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/TennisInElmbridge/Membership/MembershipFAQ 

Further Information

This FAQ page will be updated accordingly with any further information.

If you have any further questions which have not been covered, please contact the Parks Tennis Team by email: parkstennis@elmbridge.gov.uk so we can update this page accordingly.