Scarborough Council approves £76,000 refurbishment of Scalby tennis courts

The decision was approved by the cabinet member for quality of life, Cllr Jim Grieve, and will see the council allocate funding to refurbish the tennis courts as well as appoint an external contractor to carry out the works.

According to a report published by Scarborough Council on Monday August 22, £76,000 will be spent on services to be provided by Sports Surfacing Solutions.

Scarborough Council has estimated that the refurbishment, which includes a new gate and booking system, “will generate income from the booking of courts, estimated to be in the region of between £5-10,000” a year.

It has also delegated authority to one of its directors, Lisa Dixon, to agree the final terms of the contract.

Offers were submitted from two companies.

As such, the council also approved an exemption to its contract procedure rules as the number of quotations received was “below the three required”.

Based on the selected quotation, additional funding of £33,800 was also required and subsequently approved, to be financed from “underspends within the 2021/22 financial year”.

A scheme to refurbish the two public tennis courts at Scalby was originally approved through the council’s capital programme in May 2021.

The work includes resurfacing, installation of floodlights and a gate access system to facilitate online bookings.

According to the council, the costs for the project are “considerably higher than was originally estimated” due to the “inadequate electrical infrastructure”.

The sub-standard electrical system has also resulted in additional works being required to support the additional floodlights and the gate access system.

“The electrical assessment has identified that the incoming fuse has only 60 amps available and it is considered that the cable is unlikely to be large enough to upgrade to 80amps. In addition, a new distribution board is required for the gate entry system”, according to the council.

It is hoped that the refurbishment, which is also being supported by the local Scalby Tennis Club, will provide opportunities “for physical activity, promoting healthy lifestyles, good physical and mental health and well-being”.

Scalby Tennis Club has agreed to contribute £5,000 to the refurbishment of the lower public tennis courts as they also benefit from being able to play on the public courts.