FOUR tennis courts in Cwmbran Park are due to be refurbished in a £220,000 project.

Work started last week after funding was secured from Torfaen council, the Lawn Tennis Association and Sport Wales.

The plans include resurfacing, new fencing and court markings, as well as scope for basketball and netball facilities on site.

These are made possible by a £104,000 investment from Sport Wales, and £94,316 from the Lawn Tennis Association. 

Alongside this, there will be a new security gate installed at Pontypool Park and a new online booking system for Cwmbran Park, Pontypool Park and Panteg Park.

It is hoped these will make the courts safer and easier to book for customers.

There is also the potential for the courts to be made more accessible for a wider range of players.

Julie Porter, chief operating officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Torfaen council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active.

“This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come.

"We will also be working closely with Torfaen County Borough Council to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court and open up our sport to many more people.”

Councillor Fiona Cross, executive member for communities, said: “We would like to thank Sport Wales and the Lawn Tennis Association for the generous funding.

"The refurbishment is going to make a huge difference to users.

"I really hope residents take advantage of the great facilities once the refurbishment has been completed.”

Owen Hathway, assistant director for insight, policy and public affairs at Sport Wales, added: “Creating accessible sporting opportunities is essential to ensuring everyone can participate in and enjoy sport

"Sport Wales strongly believes in creating multisport opportunities so people can experience different sports on their doorstep.

"We’re really pleased to have been able to support a project that addresses this need across all three sports.”

Work on the tennis courts in Cwmbran is expected to take six weeks, depending on the weather.

They will be closed until work is complete.

You can find out where your nearest tennis court is by visiting the Lawn Tennis Association website.