Major improvements to the sports facilities at Stratton Park have been a big hit with local clubs and users, according to the council.

More than £300,000 in funding has been invested into upgrading the pavilion and tennis courts at the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council park off Pack Lane.

Just in time for the new cricket season, the pavilion has been refurbished through £200,000 of the council’s capital funding.

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The external and internal refurbishment includes replacement windows, doors, rendering, improvements to the changing rooms, club room, toilets and kitchen.

This comes on the back of over £90,000 of improvements, funded by the council, the Lawn Tennis Association, Sport England and developer contributions, to the tennis courts.

This work included resurfacing and repainting the tennis courts, improving accessibility for people with a disability, and the installation of new remote access system linked to the LTA’s ClubSpark online booking system Stratton Park / Home (lta.org.uk). The courts also benefitted from new nets and posts and new floodlighting on courts 1 and 2.

And the improvements are proving popular with users with more than 360 family annual tennis passes being sold since April 2021 and many more choosing to pay to play.

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Cabinet member for health, wellbeing and leisure Cllr Rebecca Bean said: “These upgraded facilities demonstrate our continued significant investment in sporting facilities across the borough. Ensuring we have high quality sporting facilities for residents is a top priority for us, to encourage participation in sport and also to boost our residents’ physical and mental wellbeing.

“I’m delighted usage of the tennis courts has increased as a result of this investment and to see more people benefitting from these facilities. I hope the pavilion refurbishment will prove as popular with teams this season.”

To book at tennis court or cricket pitch at Stratton Park or find out about any of the council’s other sports pitches visit basingstoke.gov.uk/hire-sports-facilities.

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