As Wimbledon season reaches its peak, tennis fans in Hull can now serve up their own aces on four, newly refurbished, floodlit courts at Costello Playing Fields. The courts, which have been out of use since they were devastated by flooding in 2007, were officially opened by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Hull and Pickering Ward Councillor Pete Allen this week.
A 3 month development and £200,000 investment by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the Council’s West Area Committee and Hull City Council has seen the courts completely restored. Play will now take place all year round thanks to floodlights and all weather surfacing as well as an extensive tennis coaching programme. The facility will offer quality coaching for children and young people, cardio tennis fitness sessions, women-only sessions and pay and play tennis. The courts will be managed by the staff at the adjacent Costello Athletics Stadium.
The refurbished site will provide a much needed boost for public tennis facilities in Hull. At present the only other park tennis courts are at Pelican Park on the east side of the city, so the new courts at Costello will ensure that that community tennis courts are much more readily available for people across Hull.
Councillor, Terry Geraghty, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Leisure and Chair of Hull Culture & Leisure said: “By working in partnership with the LTA and funding from the West Area Committee we have been able to deliver these brand new courts for the local community. Delivering new sports and leisure facilities continues to highlight our commitment and contribution to offering new opportunities to lead a healthier lifestyle.
“I am delighted to see this new facility completed and now open for everyone to utilise. These new tennis courts are really going to boost participation in tennis in Hull from complete novices and beginners to elite players, with a range of sessions to suit all abilities. With Wimbledon just around the corner who knows we could have the next tennis star on our doorstep!”
Paul Sheard, Regional Tennis Participation Manager for the LTA in Hull added:
“We are delighted to have supported the redevelopment of the tennis courts at Costello Playing Fields. There was a serious shortage of public tennis courts in Hull and the new courts will ensure that the sport is accessible to all sections of the community from across the city”.
Anyone wishing to get on court at Costello can do so for just £6 during the summer months with rackets and balls available to hire. Bookings can be made over the phone or in person at the Costello Athletics Stadium.
For more information about the courts, please visit www.hcandl.co.uk/liveit.
For more information about the work of the Lawn Tennis Association, visit www.lta.org.uk