Inverness’s Bellfield Park tennis courts re-open after renovation

The tennis courts at Bellfield Park Tennis Centre in Inverness are open and ready to serve the local community following major renovations. 

The renovations have been managed by the LTA and Highland Council, supported by the LTA Tennis Foundation. 

Bellfield Park is just one of many city council parks being refurbished as part of the biggest ever transformation of park tennis facilities across the UK. 

The courts were recently re-opened with a festival of tennis event hosted by operator Bellfield Park Tennis Club. It was hailed as a huge success, attended by over 300 children and adults and featured representation from the LTA. 

The festival provided an opportunity for people from the local community to pick up a racket and get on court for a range of tennis sessions.  

The 10-court venue (eight standard and two mini courts) has benefited from a £192,000 investment in total. The Highland Council invested £25,000 to ensure quality facilities for the local community in addition to £167,000 from the LTA Tennis Foundation and the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport. Work on the site is now complete. 

The project is part of a £30m nationwide initiative delivered by the LTA, supported by the LTA Foundation, to transform park tennis courts across the UK and open up the sport to more people. 

This investment will see thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of communities across the country through renovation works, and improved court accessibility with new gate-access technology and booking systems. 

Chair of Highland Council’s Education Committee, Cllr John Finlayson, said: “This is truly smashing news for people living in and visiting Inverness. 

“Play-based outdoor activities for young people and adults are a crucial part of the continuing progress we have made against the harms of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Physical exercise and outdoor activities like tennis have a well-documented, positive impact on people’s mental health and well-being and we need to ensure that initiatives like this continue to be developed right across the Highlands. 

“Every journey has a beginning and if these refurbished courts provide an avenue into the game for our young people, then the Highlands might one day produce the next Andy Murray.” 

James Martin, Director of Sport, Leisure and Safeguarding at High Life Highland said: "We are delighted to see the Bellfield tennis courts open again and being enjoyed by tennis players of all ages and abilities. At High Life Highland we very much welcome the investment made to upgrade these facilities. By providing good quality tennis and other sporting facilities we can really help make life better for people in the Highlands. 

Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “After months of hard work, we’re delighted to see park tennis courts in Inverness officially back open to the public, and in better shape than ever.   

“Public tennis courts are such vital facilities for getting active and we want as many people as possible, of all ages and abilities, to pick up a racket and enjoy playing tennis. Thanks to this investment the sport will be opened up to more players, for years to come.” 

Park tennis courts are vital in providing opportunities for children and adults to get active, delivering significant physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits to participants. 

Accessible and affordable facilities within public parks are critical in terms of opening up the sport to all. 

Bellfield Park Tennis Club the operators of Bellfield Park Tennis Centre will work to deliver a range of activity across the park sites. 

This will include weekly organised free park tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience where equipment is provided, meaning that people will not need someone to play with or their own racket. Local Tennis Leagues will also provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active through local competition.  

The refurbished courts at Bellfield Park Tennis Centre will be available to book online via the LTA website making it far easier to find and book a court. Reasonably priced season passes are also available via the Bellfield Park Tennis Club’s website for those that wish to play regularly. Revenue from pay to play and season passes will make an important contribution towards the sinking fund created to ensure the future refurbishment of tennis courts at Bellfield Park. 

Youngsters enjoying the newly refurbished tennis courts at Bellfield Park, Inverness