Three million people to benefit from hundreds of new indoor tennis courts across Great Britain

Three million people will have the opportunity to play tennis all year round after the LTA revealed ambitious plans to develop hundreds of new indoor tennis courts in communities across Great Britain over the next 10 years.

The plans are being announced by the LTA at an event in New Palace Yard at the Houses of Parliament, hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP. 

The LTA’s future investment in tennis facilities will be based on detailed analysis of potential demand through the country.  The governing body for tennis in Britain has identified 96 priority target areas in England, Scotland and Wales for the development of new indoor courts.

The new analysis overlays population data against the locations of existing indoor tennis facilities and is part of a new strategic approach to investment driven by LTA Chief Executive Scott Lloyd, with a similar exercise also being undertaken for investment in park tennis facilities.

By adding in a catchment area for each current indoor venue covering a 20 minute drive time, the analysis reveals areas where there are opportunities to build new facilities that meet a demand threshold of potential adult players.  The 96 identified areas are spread across Britain, with 72 in England, 12 in Scotland and 12 in Wales.

The target locations have been prioritised according to the number of potential players in each area, with demographic profiles of the population for each target community used to ensure new facilities are developed in a way that also helps to broaden the participation base of the game.

Scott Lloyd, LTA Chief Executive, said: “More indoor facilities across England, Scotland and Wales are absolutely crucial to our ambition to open up tennis to many more people.  When I joined the LTA last year I was determined to make facility investment a priority and use my experience in this area to implement this more targeted approach.

“We are already making progress with several new indoor tennis centres currently going through the planning process in Scotland, and I am looking forward to us working with local authorities and partners in all of our target locations across the whole of Britain”.

Culture Secretary Rt Hon Jeremy Wright MP said: "Tennis is one of our most popular sports, and it should be open and accessible to all. More quality indoor facilities will only help encourage people to pick up a racket and enjoy the sport all year round. I am pleased that the LTA is directing funding across the whole country to where it is needed most to grow the sport from the grassroots up."

Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, said: “Whilst the grass court tennis season is one of the highlights of the British summer, tennis is a sport that can be played year-round by anyone, whatever their ability, background, fitness or age.

“The LTA is working hard up to open tennis up to as many people as possible, and the new targeted approach to investment in indoor facilities announced today in Parliament is an important step in providing more places for people to play tennis around the country”.

Rt Hon Jeremy Wright MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “Ensuring that there are quality indoor tennis facilities throughout the country is vital to helping drive increased year-round participation in the sport.

“I congratulate the LTA for their evidence-based approach to facility investment, and hope the new facilities that will be built over the next decade will provide opportunities for more people to play tennis and enjoy the social and health benefits that taking part in the sport provides”.

The new analysis-driven approach to proactively deliver investment where it is most needed marks a move away from the previous bid-led process.  Going forward, the LTA will be working with local authorities and seeking operational partners to help deliver large scale, participation changing, sustainable, community-focused indoor tennis venues. In another marked change of approach, the LTA will now operate centralised planning to provide a national planning framework to bring consistency, coordination and efficiency to planning applications.

To shape the new facilities and ensure they provide opportunities for people to get active through tennis in a way that is right for them, the LTA has also developed a model design and indicative costings for new community indoor tennis centres. The investment from the LTA for these will be provided in the form of an interest free strategic loan scheme.

The new facilities being developed will add to the current total of more than 1,400 indoor courts at over 300 venues across the country, including the existing network of community indoor tennis centres (CITCs) supported by the LTA, commercial clubs and tennis club venues.

Target locations