When talking to constituents in Endon, one of the issues that often comes up is the proposed changes at the tennis club.  Debate in the area has been going on for years now in the area, and I have met all concerned to talk about the ins and outs of the new facilities.

In Endon we have a successful tennis club which is looking at how to make the most use of the courts that they have. 

Wimbledon is coming up later in the month and we are bound to see the whole country gripped with a tennis craze, and the so called ‘Wimbledon effect’ filling up courts up and down the country for the weeks around the competition.

At the same time, we hear a whole chorus of different organisations calling for all of us to improve our health and take more exercise. For example, the British Heart Foundation’s 30 a Day campaign is there to encourage people to look at how to put some exercise in the daily schedule.

One of the challenges is how to improve our sports facilities, and increase the use of those we already have.

I have worked hard to get investment in sports facilities into the constituency and have met with the Director of the regional Big Lottery Fund to see what more help we can get from lottery funding. Many of the new sports facilities at Holden Lane Sport College, for example, are open to non-pupils and at evenings and weekends.  The facilities there are excellent and the gym is available for use.

I have also discussed our shortfall of sports facilities with the national sports bodies including the Lawn Tennis Association. They are acutely aware that North Staffordshire needs more facilities and more tennis provision.  In Endon’s case, we already have a well run club that has tried to extend the use so that the opening hours could be extended, enabling extra but controlled and responsible use of the courts.

The planning application to enable the tennis courts to be open for longer and allow lighting has been controversial

I understand constituents’ concerns about noise and light pollution.  But I also believe that with a little negotiation and careful planning, these could be addressed.  For example, I am the Chair of the All Party Lighting Group, and have hosted meetings to look at how intelligent design of sports lighting can illuminate playing areas with little or no ‘light spill’.

So as Staffordshire Moorlands District Council once again prepare to consider the tennis club’s application, I hope that they will consult widely, including with the Lawn Tennis Association, Endon High School, and local residents worried about what it could mean for them.

I hope that with a bit of informed debate, sensible conditions and willingness to understand all points of view, some way forward can be found that would enable more use of the courts and safeguard residents’ interests.  After all, Wimbledon champions of the future all start somewhere and our local players want facilities, just like Tim Henman and Andy Murray did when they started out.

If you have any thoughts or comments on planning or health living, and live in Stoke-on-Trent North, then please be in touch.