A Renfrew councillor has hit out at the state of council-run tennis courts in the area.
Jamie McGuire, Scottish Labour Councillor for Renfrew North and Braehead, plans to petition Renfrewshire Council to renovate the public courts which are currently overgrown. His aims would be to turn them into a Multi-Use-Games-Area.
Jamie compares his idea to Arkleston Primary School where children can play various sports, including tennis, football, and basketball on the same court.
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
The Scottish Labour Councillor said he first noticed the court’s decline when he began attending events in the park after he was elected as one of the area’s councillors.
Jamie said: “Having attended several events at Robertson Park since being elected, including the Gala Day and the Food and Drink Festival, one issue consistently came up [was] the abandoned tennis courts in the park.
“The courts have been left lying to rot for years.
“It sits in the park locked up and in a miserable state – you could now mistake it for an abandoned football park with all the overgrown grass.”
A council spokesperson said: “The tennis courts at Robertson Park have been out of use since before we went into lockdown but we are in advanced talks with the Lawn Tennis Association and OneRen to secure the funding needed to bring them back into use. Should that project be successful, it would see a tarmac playing surface installed, along with new nets and fencing.
“We are also working closely with the Friends of Robertson Park and Renfrew Development Trust to help both organisations deliver on other ideas they have to improve the facilities in the park, in line with the wishes of the local community.”
The nearest public tennis courts are attached to Brodie Park in Paisley on Brodie Park Avenue.
Download the FREE Renfrewshire Live app now for all the latest news, features and sport in your area.
Available on both Android and Apple. Download here: smarturl.it/RenfrewLiveSocial
