Westward Ho! Tennis Club plans £2 million centre

PLANS for a £2 million centre for tennis and racquet sports have been unveiled by Westward Ho! Tennis Club. Two possible sites have been earmarked -at Silford Road above the Lenwood Country Club and at Tadworthy Road. Proposals for both will go on show a

PLANS for a £2 million centre for tennis and racquet sports have been unveiled by Westward Ho! Tennis Club.Two possible sites have been earmarked -at Silford Road above the Lenwood Country Club and at Tadworthy Road. Proposals for both will go on show at public exhibitions this week to gauge local opinion before any planning application goes in.The scheme for a near 10-acre site at Silford is for four indoor and six outdoor tennis courts, plus four mini-courts for juniors. All would be floodlit. Some of the indoor courts would be available for badminton. There would also be three squash courts, a sports hall which could accommodate table tennis, plus activities room, meeting room, viewing galleries, refreshment, toilet, changing and storage facilities.Proposals for the Tadworthy site, which is half the size and closer to residential development, are similar, but with one fewer indoor court and floodlighting on only four courts.The development would be partially sunk into the ground and screened with banks and planting.The club has been working since 2005 on plans to expand and upgrade its facilities, including the provision of indoor courts, but has insufficient room on its present site.Now this could be within reach following permission to develop the present Westward Ho! site with housing, providing the finance for new, purpose-built facilities.Andy Lobato, chairman of the club's development committee, said that because of the sensitivity of the project it had been decided to go out to public consultation before any planning application was lodged.Public exhibitions are being held at Northam Town Hall from 2pm to 8pm on Friday and at the tennis club at the bottom of Avon Lane between 12noon and 6pm on Saturday.Negotiations would also have to take place with the owners of the land - the Silford site is in private hands and that at Tadworthy is owned by the district council, he said. But if all went to plan the new facilities could be ready for use towards the end of 2010.Westward Ho! Tennis Club was established more than 60 years ago and has been at its present site since 1973.It currently has 120 adult members, 30 junior members and 120 juniors on its coaching programme.Under the new plans, it would remain a private club, said Mr Lobato. But they wanted to make the facilities accessible and affordable, with a membership structure that would include occasional users and holidaymakers and, through School Link, also local schools and other groups.