MORE than £250,000 is to be spent improving council-run tennis courts at six parks in Bury.

The council has entered into a partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to implement a policy of ‘sustainable tennis development.

Bury Council is to spend more than £220,000 in the next five months to improve courts and associated facilities at Hamilton Road Park, Openshaw Park, Nuttall Park, Bolton Road Park, Manchester Road Park and Whitehead Park.

Other funds have been arranged by the LTA.

The remaining three elevations of fencing at St Mary’s Park will also be built as part of the improvements.

A report on the approval of the spending, stated: “The pilot project at St Mary’s Park proved to be very successful and Bury Wellness

Service is now in a position to scale up project management for tennis court redevelopment in our green flag community parks.

“The pilot scheme in partnership with the LTA has shown to maintain the quality of the courts, improve the offer to those who wish to play tennis as well as build up a fund for future maintenance from tennis income received.”

The improvements will include overlaying existing surfaces, acrylic paint coating, new posts, sockets, steel nets and centre band anchors and groundworks for electrical supply.

After a competitive tender process Bury based Groundwork Landscapes Ltd will carry out the works at Hamilton Road Park, Openshaw Park, Nuttall Park, Bolton Road Park and Manchester Road Park. Tyldesley based Draxeda Construction won the contract to do the improvements at Whitehead Park.

The report said that outside funds had been won for other improvements, adding: ” Bury Council’s long standing partnership with the LTA has helped to secure external funding for the access gates and installations at a total of

£35,000.”

The council said that £61,837 funding had already been secured for capital investment at St Mary’s Park through planning gain monies, at Nuttall Park through approved floods cash and Openshaw Park through capital receipt funds.

The money planned to be invested at each site varies from around £40,000 to around £52,000.

Officers approved £220,356.55 from the council’s capital programme for 2020/21 to fund the remainder of the project.

Another LTA initiative began earlier this month with free community tennis sessions are returning to St Mary’s Park in Prestwich.

Sports charity Tennis for Free relaunched the sessions on Sunday, October 4, in partnership with Bury Council and the LTA.

The sessions are led by a professional tennis coach and take place every Sunday from 1pm to 2pm, initially for over-12s only.

To take part sign up at: tennisforfree.com.