Purpose

An opportunity has arisen to bring Redcatch
Tennis Courts into the Bristol Parks Tennis Operating Model. This
includes how the courts will operate, be maintained, and paid for.
As part of this proposal the council has consulted with local
people on this model.
Currently, the use of the tennis courts at Redcatch Park is free
and people can turn up and play. There is no way of booking the
courts. The council cannot afford to maintain Redcatch Park tennis
courts in the way it does now.
Out of 287 responses received 200 (70%) are users of the courts
either once or more than once a week.
The majority of respondents (57%) were opposed to the proposal to
use the Parks Tennis Operating Model (selecting disagree or
strongly disagree); 38% were in favour (agree or strongly agree);
and 6% neither agreed nor disagreed.
Out of 199 respondents the most popular theme arising from free
text responses was a preference for a system free at the point of
access and that the current arrangements work well without a
booking system.
The outcome of the consultation has been fully reviewed and
considered in taking this decision.
All other options have been carefully considered but rejected for
the reasons set out below.
It is noted that this approach is not supported by the feedback
from the majority of residents who responded to the survey who
currently use the courts.
This is understandable, as this is a significant change to the
present situation and one that will result in those users who
currently use the courts, having to pay in the future.
The council cannot however afford to operate and maintain the
tennis courts to an adequate standard in the long term with the
budgets available.
In the absence of an operating model the courts remain without a
viable sustainable future and without funding will fall into a
state of disrepair and an inevitable deterioration of the tennis
courts. Inclusion in the model will help the council manage and
mitigate its budget pressures and is aligned to its strategic
direction of finding new ways of funding to support service
provision and estate maintenance.

Content

That the operation, maintenance and funding of
the tennis courts in Redcatch Park is incorporated within the
Bristol Parks Tennis Operating Model.