The decline of Johnstone’s tennis courts has been branded a “vicious circle” as councillors asked if an alternative approach should be taken to secure funding for the site.
The facility at Park Road, near the bowling club, is in a state of neglect with overgrown weeds, no visible markings and nets which need replaced.
Renfrewshire Council is pursuing financial support from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to refurbish the courts, but said it had been advised those at Brodie Park in Paisley and Robertson Park in Renfrew have been “prioritised for initial funding” in a report to the leadership board.
The local authority said Park Road would be added “if funds become available”.
Councillor Andy Steel, an SNP rep for Johnstone South and Elderslie, said the paper did not offer “a great deal of cheer” for his area.
He said: “The fact remains that the bodies which could be stepping forward were stepping away, so the site remains locked.
“It is basically a vicious circle, whereby it gets worse and worse, the renovation costs get higher and higher and funders are scared off, so the site gets worse and worse, the renovation costs get higher and higher and so on and so on.”
Councillor Steel said their decline was “really sad” and suggested it was time to adopt a different method as efforts are made to bring them up to standard.
He added: “My question, having had my wee moan, is that since we keep hitting our heads off the same walls, getting the same response, going to the funders who can help us here, should we be looking at changing our approach to this?
“Instead of approaching funders looking for money to renovate the tennis courts, start approaching funders to renovate the tennis courts yes, the bowling green … the old BMX track … the big open bit of grassland as well, the whole thing.
“I’m thinking on the principle of if you go into a bank and ask for £100 they laugh you out, you go into a bank and ask for £1million they bestrew rose petals in your path and invite you into the manager’s office.
“Should we be throwing the kitchen sink at this site and maybe we might get some more positive responses from funders?
“Instead of what we’ve got in this report from the LTA, which is, well I’m not holding my breath, put it that way.”
Councillor Iain McMillan, a Labour rep for Johnstone South and Elderslie, said he was “delighted” to see the progress made on funding bids for courts in Paisley and Renfrew.
However, he shared Councillor Steel’s concerns about the Johnstone site.
He said: “It’s in an awful state, it has been for a number of years.
“I think councillors of all political colours that have run this council for the last few years should be ashamed, including the Labour group as well, that they’ve allowed that area to decline so
badly.
“If we’re not going to get the money through the LTA or other bodies, we maybe need to look at something else.”
Gordon McNeil, the council’s director of environment, housing and infrastructure, said the discussion on the issue had been “really helpful”.
He added: “I will remain optimistic, particularly on the back of the discussion today, that we are looking for funding for the three sets of courts.
“Should we be in a scenario that that doesn’t happen then obviously we’ve identified through this piece of work that we’ve got strategic assets in Johnstone that are in need of some master planning and we need to go away and start having a think about that … First and foremost, we will continue to engage with the LTA to seek funding for the three sets of courts.
“Should that not be the case, we will see what else we can look at and what funding might be available to support the strategic development of those areas.”
The LTA has been contacted for comment.
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