Neglected tennis courts could be restored – but users will need to pay

It’s a crisp autumn day and Dingle Close is peaceful. A horseshoe of cosy-looking houses surround two fenced tennis courts. The space is being enjoyed by a father and son playing a private game of football.

Dingle Close tennis courts in north Bristol are currently the subject of a Bristol City Council consultation. The council say they can no longer afford to maintain them and propose that the courts be operated by Wesport, who already oversee courts at several other locations. If this goes ahead, the courts will be renovated and bookable, but no longer free.

Players will be charged £35-£25 per household annually, or £5 a time to use them. The same arrangement is about to start at Redcatch Park, and was the subject of a demonstration when first proposed in July.

It’s been a very long time since any money has been spent to improve these courts for tennis. Only one has a net, the other has a single net post and the court markings are worn away. Weeds grow across the tarmac, breaking up the surface and making it unusable for any serious match. The area used to be locked but the vandalised gate hangs permanently open so there’s currently no limit on usage and no system for booking.

The maintenance of the courts has been neglected and they are in poor condition – photo: Mary Milton

The courts were part of the original plan for the Sea Mills Garden Suburb, built by Bristol Council in the 1920s to ease a post-war housing shortage. The new estates were designed to promote healthy living, facilities for recreation were part of the vision. During the 1960s and 70s, the courts were operated as a tennis club by the Port of Bristol Authority, a major local employer.

Kevin Evans is a regular at the nearby community cafe, he’s one of a group of older people who meet there for a chat most days. In the 1980s, he taught dozens of young people to play tennis on the courts. He’d love to see them used for tennis again but appreciates that funding is an issue, he says his venture cost him a fortune in rackets and balls but it was worth it.

“You have to get them young, tennis kept them out of mischief. If they open again, I’d like to be there for it,” he says.

Kevin Evans (left), ran a tennis project at the courts in the 1980s – photo: Mary Milton

The courts have become somewhat of a hidden, if dilapidated and neglected gem in Sea Mills. Local Chloe Alger-Seats played tennis at Canford Park when she was younger.

“I’ve lived here 41 years and I didn’t know there were courts at Dingle Close, I’d definitely use them if they were done up,” she said.

Not everyone agrees on what should happen to the courts and none of the residents of Dingle Close who spoke to Bristol24/7 were happy to be named. Their biggest fear is that they might be built on, but not everyone is convinced by the Wesport proposal either.

Some expressed concern that the cost will be prohibitive for some people and thought that the open access nature of the space has advantages.

“I’ll be really sorry if we lose them, it’s nice to see kids learning to ride their bikes on it, where else can they do that around here? Our grandchildren play on the courts too,” said one neighbour.

The courts are in a better condition than they would have been if the locals had not been keeping an eye on them. They have been a hot spot for the anti-social behaviour. One neighbour has provided the net and another cuts the hedges. Their efforts keep the area looking relatively neat and the lower hedges make it easier to police, but they know that something is going to have to happen.

“It can’t carry on indefinitely like this. They need doing, there’s no money to do it so this is a way of it happening,” another neighbour said, referring to the Wesport proposal.

Despite the condition of the courts, some people still use them for tennis – photo: Maria Stuart

Elena Hensinger’s children learned to ride their bicycles on the tennis courts and found it a valuable space. She would like to see the courts remain open to everyone.

“I wonder whether there might be a solution that would reserve some times of this space for locals with children who are too young for tennis and perhaps also create something for adolescents, as I believe we have rather little on offer for them,” she says.

If the proposal goes ahead, improvement works will start in spring 2024, with the courts re-opening later in the year. Work will include levelling, resurfacing, security, and the introduction of an online booking system.

Restoring the courts was an election promise made by ward councillor Henry Michellat in 2021.

“The proposal set out by the council is a welcome step forward and, if the proposal goes ahead, this will ensure future use and secure proper maintenance for the site for years to come. I would urge local residents to engage with the public consultation and have their say,” he said.

The public consultation is open until December 10, with a decision expected early in the new year.

Mary Milton is reporting on Sea Mills as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media

Main photo: Mary Milton

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