West End Recreation Ground

Live on the venue pages: 11/03/2025

Introduction

With the completion of our tennis court refurbishment programme in 2024 and our strong partnership with the LTA, we remain committed to making tennis facilities accessible and affordable for all residents.

Due to increased maintenance and operating costs, as well as significant investments in court improvements over the past years, the Council have decided to raise the pay-and-play charge by 25p per hour, bringing it to £5.75 per session starting 1 April 2025.

However, we are pleased to announce that the annual membership fee will remain frozen at £40. We remind you that this membership includes up to 5 family members under the same pass and offers unlimited use throughout the year (up to 2 hours per day across all Elmbridge parks tennis sites) with no extra fee for court bookings. This still represents good value for money.

The fees as of the 1st April 2025 will be:

• Play Tennis Pass: £40 annually (no price change)
• Pay and Play: £5.75 per hour (25p increase)

Additionally, residents receiving benefits can enjoy free access to tennis courts, please email us to learn how to register for a free Play Tennis Pass: parkstennis@elmbridge.gov.uk 

1) Why will court users have to pay an increased pay and play fee from 1st April 2025?

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 Play Tennis Pass has not changed and will remain at £40 per year.  This annual pass covers up to 5 members of your household with no additional court fees to play tennis.

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 continue to liaise 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 completed 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.