Resident serves complaint over court accessibility

A RESIDENT has complained about the accessibility and booking process of the tennis courts by Melksham Community Campus. 

The tennis courts were constructed in 2019 by Wiltshire Council and are currently managed by Melksham Tennis Club.

To book the courts, people are advised to ring Melksham Tennis Club and pay a booking fee via bank transfer. However, a resident has raised concerns regarding this process and says that the tennis courts seem to be locked much of the time.

The resident said, “The Melksham Community Campus tennis courts that were constructed in 2019 at a considerable cost to Wiltshire residents remain locked. Why are these tennis courts locked if they are a public facility? Other public tennis courts in the local area eg Holt and Semington are not locked and are easily accessible.

“I understand Wiltshire Council agreed to give temporary management to Melksham Tennis Club as reported in Melksham News in July 2019, with a suggestion that a lease would be imminent whilst the sports development team would be working with the club.

“I also understand that a lease between Melksham Tennis Club and Wiltshire Council still has not been signed after four years and consequently it appears unreasonable that a private organisation can charge members of the public to use a public facility, particularly as it has a ludicrous booking system that requires making a bank Bacs transfer beforehand and then ringing various mobile numbers to make a court booking, when the Campus reception is barely 50 metres away and a booking can be made there.”

Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for leisure and operational assets cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, confirmed, “The tennis courts are owned by Wiltshire Council. Melksham Tennis Club do not have a lease for the courts, but do manage the courts.”

Melksham Tennis Club said, “Wiltshire Council owns the courts, Melksham Tennis Club maintains the courts and surrounds and will futureproof them (repainting and resurfacing etc). The times of public hire are in two places on our website which we are continually updating and there is an online form with no phone numbers. We conform exactly to [Wiltshire] council’s requirement for public hire.”

The resident said, “What is the tennis club doing with these booking fees as there are no facilities (ie toilets, changing rooms etc) adjacent to the tennis courts? The Avon Bowls Club and Melksham Cricket Club have recently been offered long-term leases but not the tennis club.

“I made enquiries at the Melksham Community Campus reception and was informed that the tennis courts on the Campus site was ‘nothing to do with the Campus’ which is curious as Wiltshire Council contractors constructed the entire site, including the tennis courts, in the first instance.

“At the Corsham Community Campus, the tennis courts can be booked at the Campus building without an issue. Incidentally every time I walk past the tennis courts at the Melksham campus they are nearly always unoccupied. Surely in these economically challenging times we should allow local sports facilities to be more accessible to all ages of the community, especially after the long delay in the construction of the Melksham Community Campus. Come on Wiltshire Council – get a grip on the local sports facilities.”

Melksham Tennis Club said, “Melksham Tennis Club is solely responsible for maintaining and future-proofing the courts and surrounds and receives no financial help from the council. The council allow us to use the booking fees together with a portion of the members’ fees to do this.  The council are aware of this resident’s enquiry and any further enquiry should be directed to them.”