Row over net loss to tennis facilities in Bedford as Lib Dems and Conservatives clash

There’s no love lost between borough Conservatives and Lib Dems over the net loss to tennis facilities at Bedford Park.

The Lib Dem Group has accused the new Conservative administration of rushing the decision to “cut Bedford Park’s tennis courts from nine to three”.

Bedford’s new mayor, Tom Wootton (Conservative) signed the executive order to re-orientate three courts, remove six, and implement a “sustainable tennis operation model” to enable the council to access Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) funding on June 9, after just one month in office.

This led to the Lib Dems claiming that the Conservative administration had not been able to “accurately layout the free tennis provision or other community benefits” in Bedford Park, and launching a petition to “Save Bedford Park Tennis Courts”.

However, a Local Democracy Reporting Service investigation discovered that in March the former mayor’s office had already “reluctantly” agreed for health and safety reasons – and also to safeguard mature trees – to reduce the facility to four courts.

Bedford Borough Council said that since that decision was made, further investigations into the playing facilities found the number of courts would to be reduced to three.

A council spokesman said: “It was not agreed at that time to accept the LTA funding but instead look to explore first other options to fund the reorientation of the remaining courts and undertake the much needed repairs to them.

“Due to further investigations the damage by the tree roots was more than initially believed and than found from the initial visits to the site by the LTA contractor.

“The option of accepting the significant funding of £87k from the LTA, the sustainable longer-term security of the remaining courts in Bedford Park along with the protection of the mature trees, was explained and recommended to the new administration as being the more sustainable solution after other options had been explored.

“The preferred agreeable way forward [was] to enable the tennis courts in Bedford Park to be renovated to a playable standard, increasing participation in tennis in the borough, and ensuring that the courts are maintained in the long term by being financially sustainable and reducing the impact on the council financially.”

The Lib Dem Group had said that it is not happy with the reduction in courts, so the LDRS asked if it was also unhappy with the former mayor’s decision to reduce the number of courts at Bedford Park.

Its spokesperson said: “This is not a relevant question, a temporary decision based on safety is not a decision about the permanent future of tennis in Bedford Park and the loss of free tennis.

“The new administration should permanently save the courts as we would have done. This simply isn’t about a past, temporary choice.”

When launching a petition (August 2) about the changes, Liberal Democrat Group leader and De Parys councillor, Henry Vann, said: “It is appalling that the Conservatives have rushed through with this decision without having any idea about the number of free sessions.

Under the council’s constitution, the Lib Dems could have “called in” the Executive Decision, which would have effectively “frozen” the decision until the relevant committee, or Full Council, had considered it further.

This would have prevented the Conservative administration from “pressing ahead”.

The LDRS asked the Lib Dem Group why it chose not to do this and instead launched their petition against these changes.

Its spokesperson said: “This is about protecting free access to tennis in the tennis courts, not about rejecting the LTA funding.

“These are not mutually exclusive but are linked and with no commitment to protecting the remaining courts we are rightly raising residents’ concerns.

“Not every decision should be called in as that can significantly delay funding.”

The council also told the LDRS that plans for Addison Howard Park, Allen Park, Linden Road, Mowsbury Park, Russell Park and Southfields were agreed by the former mayor’s office in late December.

The Lib Dems were asked why the former mayor didn’t legally sign them off then.

The spokesperson replied: “We were working with the council to look at ways to save some free courts whilst still securing investment from the LTA.”

The Lib Dem petition is about free tennis at Bedford Park, and doesn’t mention the other facilities, so why is the “pay to play” scheme less of an issue for the Lib Dems at these other courts?

“When we were in administration we were working with the council to protect free tennis across the borough,” its spokesperson said.

The LDRS asked mayor Wootton about the Lib Dems’ claims over his executive decision.

“This just makes me giggle,” he replied. “If they’re trying to make a political battle out of anything, why have they chosen tennis?

“They’re the ones that got this grant, it wasn’t our idea. If it had been them they’d have been crying from the rooftops about how they’ve got the grant money to come to Bedford.

“If everything goes well, we’re going to have some really good quality tennis courts, isn’t that what people want?

“Shouldn’t they be really proud of having some really nice tennis courts that are really smart and really well run, and if we can work it and I think we probably will, there’s going to be some of them available for free as well.

“So actually it’s going to be beneficial for everybody.”