Public tennis courts at South Tyneside parks have come back into life with the laying of bright new playing surfaces – but a row over their funding refuses to go away.

Courts at Readhead Park at Westoe, South Shields, and Cornthwaite Park, Whitburn, are among those to have seen upgrades continue to progress at pace in recent days.

Three others, at West Park in South Shields, Coulthard Park in Cleadon, and Hebburn’s Carr Ellison Park, are also being improved.

The scheme got the seal of approval from council bosses earlier this year, after the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) pledged £180,000 of funding support.

But in a move that has proved contentious, the cash came with a proviso that enthusiasts must now pay to play – rather than hit the ball for free, as in the past.

Councillors Paul Brenen and Kate Owens-Palmer, both South Tyneside Alliance Group, outside the tennis courts. | Other 3rd Party

placeholder image — Councillors Paul Brenen and Kate Owens-Palmer, both South Tyneside Alliance Group, outside the tennis courts. | Other 3rd Party

They must fork out a minimum of £2 an hour under a programme being administered via the LTA by We Do Tennis, a community interest company, based in Welton, near Hull.

It has led to complaints about the funding bidding process from Westoe ward councillors, including Cllr Paul Brenen.

The South Tyneside Alliance Group representative raised the issue at a recent meeting of the council’s Our Place Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr Brenen said his investigations had revealed the council was tied into the deal for six years and would face heavy financial penalties to withdraw.

He claimed that a single council officer led the move to partner with We Do Tennis and the LTA, a process he alleged was not democratic.

And he also said ward councillors and the public were kept largely in the dark about the upgrade plan, which started with small-scale remediation work to courts in the spring.

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The councillor is now demanding lessons around the bidding process be learned, ahead of any similar plan coming before the council.

Cllr Brenen said: “At the scrutiny committee meeting, I explored the options that were available and how this decision came about.

“I also asked why ward councillors and the public were not told what was happening.

“It’s a six-year contract, and I also explored options for getting out of it, but it is going to go ahead.

“I don’t like the process that was gone through. There was no consultation, and it was an officer-led decision, under delegated powers.

“The contract should have come before a scrutiny committee so that the contract could be looked at.

“The process around this decision was wrong, I haven’t been able to get it reversed.

“I said it was wrong because if it has happened to tennis courts, it could happen to other play parks.”

The revamped tennis court at Readhead Park. | National World

When the scheme came to light, South Tyneside Council initially refused to reveal details of the source of the funding.

In response to Cllr Brenen’s claims, a spokeswoman confirmed the upgrades were approved at officer level under the council’s scheme of delegations, and did not require committee approval.

She also said the agreement with We Do Tennis is for six years, a time frame in line with funding criteria, to ensure the long-term maintenance of the courts.