AFTER years of waiting, tennis players in Wantage are set to get new tennis courts by next summer.

Wantage Lawn Tennis Club has been given planning permission to build four new private courts next to the two existing ones at Manor Road Recreation Ground.

The club was also given approval for a new pavilion, and will be refurbishing the existing, public courts.

The two old courts will remain public, but the club said it would be easier for people to rent, and the four new courts will also be available to non-club members to a certain extent.

The club was given planning permission for its scheme by Vale of White Horse District Council, which also owns the park, last Wednesday.

Members said they were delighted with the decision.

Chairman Steve Thompson said: “I was made chairman five years ago to do this project, it’s taken at least that long, but now things are looking good.

“This is good news for the whole community: our site will be much more usable than the existing one.”

Work at the Manor Road park is now due to start before Christmas and be finished by next spring. At a planning meeting, Vale councillor and Wantage Town Councillor Jenny Hannaby said: “It’s been a very long time coming.

“It’s going to benefit Wantage people, surrounding villages and the village’s children. It’s a win-win situation and I’m so pleased we have got this far.”

Wantage Lawn Tennis Club is currently based at a club with three courts in the middle of a housing estate in Foliat Drive, Charlton. But with neighbours so close by, for decades the club has had no option to expand or to install floodlighting to allow the courts to be used in the winter.

Now, at Manor Road, it will be able to install lights and finally operate year-round.

Earlier this year the club won planning permission to build six houses on its Foliat Drive site, and now, with permission to redevelop Manor Road, it can sell Foliat Drive to a housing developer and with the approximately £500,000 it will get, bankroll the Manor Road plans.

At the moment, Vale of White Horse District Council runs the Manor Road tennis courts and anyone who wants to use them has to buy a key from the council to get access, which costs £118.95 for six months’ use, or £19.85 for one month.

Mr Thompson said his club planned to rent out the public courts for “about £5 an hour” simply by going on the club’s website.

Wantage Lawn Tennis Club currently has about 120 members including 12 competitive teams, and membership costs £100 a year for an adult, with other deals on offer.

* Find out more at wantagetennisclub.co.uk