Tennis courts served up to developer
Feilding tennis clubs have taken a hit by the Manawatu District Council’s decision to repay debt by selling some of the town’s tennis courts.
Despite five submissions opposing the sale of four community asphalt courts, councillors voted on Thursday to sell them to an anonymous developer.
The courts have a market valuation of $750,000 and, by selling them, the council will exceed its proposed $1 million worth of debt repayments for the year as set out in its Long-term Plan.
The move comes from a council that last month agreed to undertake a review of the district’s sports facilities to identify the need for any future assets. However, the sale of Feilding’s only community tennis courts was signed off without any report looking into its level of use.
Feilding Tennis Club president Doug Cartridge said the move would affect the club’s ability to host tournaments and representative fixtures.
Manawatu Tennis executive officer Bridget Dickins said tournaments would have to be moved to Palmerston North as a result.
Without the extra courts, the Feilding Lawn Tennis Club would also have to reduce the number of interclub players it could enter in regional competitions, Dickins said. Clubs are required to provide enough courts to host half their total teams.
The courts, at 145 South St, were earmarked as one of the council’s disposable assets in its 2015-2025 Long-term Plan, however, selling the facility wasn’t scheduled until 2021.
That process was accelerated when an ‘‘existing Feilding business’’ requested an area to relocate, council community facilities manager Doug Tate said.
He said the developer needed 5000 square metres of land and attempts to find a suitable site elsewhere in Feilding had been unsuccessful. If the business was denied land in Feilding, it would have relocated to Palmerston North, he said.
Until recently, the Feilding Tennis Club had a long-term lease of the courts in conjunction with Feilding Netball – before it moved to the Duke St Netball Courts.
Cartridge said the clubs jointly funded the perimeter fencing, floodlights, maintained the facility and provided the nets throughout the term of the lease. The clubs also made the courts available to the public. In return, the council did not charge rent.
The tennis club asked the council to consider entering into a new lease on the previous terms and conditions, however, councillors said it wasn’t financially viable.
‘‘There are no other free access tennis courts in Feilding,’’ Cartridge said.
‘‘Taking away access to these courts is removing a benefit to all ratepayers and showing that the council is not supportive of tennis as a sport.
‘‘Not all residents can afford to pay a club membership.’’
The club will continue to operate on its seven independentlyowned astro turfs next door. It recently spent $80,000 to resurface four courts, with the other three scheduled for an upgrade in two years.