Thursday May 28th 2015
Penicuik Tennis Club currently lease their land from Midlothian Council, however the tennis club has been included in the Midlothian Local Development Plan (MLDP) as the council now plan to build social housing on the site just off Kirkhill Road. The club members are fighting a campaign to save the club.
The tennis club is one of only two dedicated tennis clubs in Midlothian, the other being in Dalkeith which is 30 minutes drive away. Membership is open to all and the club has 200 members which is one of the highest tennis club memberships in the East of Scotland. The age range of members is from four to seventy.
The tennis courts are used all year round and there are four qualified coaches. Ironically the tennis courts are also used by the council’s Active Schools programme to encourage all children to try tennis and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Whilst the Scottish Government recognises that sport is important and wishes to promote health and well being then they should be encouraging clubs like the Penicuik Tennis club. There is a lot of provision for football in Midlothian but virtually nothing dedicated to tennis. Yet tennis is a sport that is popular with both sexes and can be played by both young and old, as an individual or as a team. Midlothian should be encouraging children to get involved in tennis and aspire to follow in the footsteps of Britain’s number 1 Andy Murray.
The Penicuik tennis club is a real community asset and it provides social cohesion and leisure opportunities for young and old through lessons, social events, tournaments and league matches.
If you would like to object to the tennis courts being redeveloped as part of the Midlothian Local Development Plan then click on the image below to download the letter, print it off, complete your name and address and then send it to the council at the address shown by 26th June 2015.
