BIGWIGS from a south-Essex tennis association believe spending a £350,000 grant on revamping public courts is a missed opportunity.

Southend Council successfully bid for the cash to upgrade courts at Priory Park and Chalkwell Park and plan to charge people to play on them.

But Leigh & Westcliff LTA believes the money could be better spent on upgrading facilities at some of its 16 member clubs.

“Many of the clubs especially the smaller ones, struggle to make ends meet and rarely get help from anyone,” said L&W secretary Dave Lincoln.

“A number of these are working out of wooden shacks because they have not and never will have the immediate funds to build proper facilities.

“£350,000 would be well spent to look after the people that promote tennis in a proper way.”

Southend Council is hoping the windfall, provided by the Lawn Tennis Association, will help attract more people into the sport.

Courts at the two parks will be resurfaced and new fencing and floodlights installed.

Lib Dem Graham Longley, the council’s deputy leader, said the park courts were currently underused and hoped that the revamped facilities would lead to more people playing, despite them having to pay to use the facilities.

Leigh & Westcliff LTA is reported to be the largest in the country and around 4,000 people belong to its 16 member clubs, which span the area from Wickford to Thorpe Bay.

Many of the clubs also have teams playing in the Southend & District LTA and in the Essex County LTA leagues.

And Lincoln believes the money should be invested in the clubs to offer people a route into structured, competitive tennis, while fearing for the long-term future of the revamped courts.

“I have seen many courts in this area in my 40 years of playing tennis, that have been council-run and when re-furbished have very quickly gone into disrepair,” he said.

“A club always treasures their facilities good or bad and would inevitably stop misadventure or vandalism.

“Belonging to a club can cost less than £4 a week and enjoy tennis seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.

“The future of tennis is in the clubs in this area.

“The council courts have not been used that much. Thousands in the area have been enjoying tennis in our clubs so why aren’t these facilities being given the chance to upgrade?”