It’s lighting up time at last for Rayleigh Tennis Club (From Echo)

It’s lighting up time at last for Rayleigh Tennis Club

5:40pm Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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RAYLEIGH Lawn Tennis Club will have a meeting with the Essex Lawn Tennis Association in the next few days to discuss funding for their brand new floodlights.

The High Road club are celebrating after receiving news that their near 15-year bid to have floodlights erected on two of their courts has at last been given approval.

The latest application, as previous ones, was turned down by Rochford Council, but their appeal to the independent planning authority was allowed.

“The technical specifications and light spill this time were widely different from our previous applications,” said club secretary Bill Todman.

“We also asked for less courts to be lit-up and have been given permission for numbers three and four.

“We had the support of the LTA and Sport England and we regard this decision as a huge development for the community as a whole.

“It will not only allow us to considerably boost our junior membership, but will also be a major boost for our members overall, particularly when it comes to playing in the winter.

“We will do our utmost to ensure that there is no nuisance to people living in the immediate area.

“Our talks with the Essex LTA will revolve round what funding they may be able to provide in the form of grants and loans for the work to go ahead.

“Ideally, we’d love the work to be done next autumn so that the lights could be in use for next winter, but that, of course, depends how quickly we can get funding into place.

”Obviously our attempts to get lights over nearly 15 years has cost the club a great deal of money, running into thousands, and this time we hired the services of the very best planning experts to help us.

“We will be running our own fund-raising events and would obviously be delighted with any offers of help.”

Any businesses or individuals who feel able to help the club financially can contact the secretary at william_todman@todmans.co.uk.

Club coach Ryan Wilson admitted his own personal delight at the news the club was to become lit-up.

“I’d like to thank those who signed the petition I drew up backing the bid and the Echo for letting people know our plight in the fight for lights,” Wilson said.

“If we hadn’t got the go-ahead I was going to have to look for another job next winter as it’s very hard making a living in the winter months when it is too dark to coach after the schools finish.”

Anyone interested in tennis lessons for themselves or their children can email Ryan at ryangwilson@hotmail.co.uk and leave their details.

A free taster session will be held next Monday at 12 noon for any adult of any age who wants to give tennis a try.