New Tennis Courts for Hedge End

What the Deuce? 

A subsidy of £50,000 from the Borough Council will allow Wildern School to build six new tennis courts for school and community use.  This is on the understanding that the school's existing courts will be converted to extra car parking.

New sports facilities are good, and more car parking is needed to reduce inconvenience to people living near the school campus, especially now the Berry Theatre is attracting people from outside Hedge End. 

It will be interesting to see the impact this subsidy from The Hedge End, West End and Botley Local Area Committee has on usage at Hedge End Town Council's tennis courts at Woodhouse Lane, bearing in mind that nine of the LAC members are also town councillors.

The news comes at a time when Hedge End Town Councillors have been agonising over fees for its sports facilities and hire of its community halls.  Over time a number of anomalies have arisen in the Council's charging structure, and the Recreation and Amenities Committee has resolved to standardise its charges in the interest of fairness to all hirers and taking into account increasing costs for energy bills.  A working party consisting of Cllrs Baines, Welsh, Pretty and myself has met several times and its first recommendations will be debated by R&A this Wednesday.

Also on the agenda for Wednesday 13th June are a proposed policy for bee keeping at the allotments, the suitability of a wild flower and bog garden on the St John's Rd Rec, a proposal that the Town Council has a stall at Hedge End carnival, quotations for picnic tables at the paddling pool and a report on the "green flag" inspection of Dowd's Farm Urban Park.

See also:
Pro-Pollinator Policies Proposed
Town Council's Buzzing

This week also sees a meeting of the Finance and Administration Committee on Thursday.   That committee will discuss (in addition to routine financial and audit matters) the membership of the personnel sub-committee for the coming year, and how to record the attendance of members who arrive late, or leave early, at meetings.  It will also receive a progress report on the new store for grounds staff equipment at Pavilion Road.

Both meetings start at 7:00pm and are open to the public.