Local residents are being consulted on plans for new tennis courts to be built in The Carrs.
The public tennis courts in the park have fallen into a bad state of disrepair and are in urgent need of renewal, or replacement, if the public are to continue to have tennis facilities available in Wilmslow.
The courts on The Carrs are the only public courts in the town.
For some time The Friends of The Carrs have been in discussion with Macclesfield Borough Council and then Cheshire East Council to try and find a means of providing good quality tennis facilities in a suitable location which at the same time helps to enhance the natural features and nature of The Carrs.
The Friends and Cheshire East Council now have some proposals, which they are seeking the public's views on.
They plan to replace the existing tennis courts with two new courts located by the play area and skate boarding area, near the Parish Hall.
The area currently occupied by the tennis courts will be landscaped and they will carry out some limited tree planting so it is returned to a natural state, in keeping with the rest of The Carrs.
Subject to the availability of finance a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) could be incorporated into the proposals if there is sufficient support. Funding is already available for the proposed two new courts.
Explaining the benefits of the proposals, Colin Shepherd, Chair of Friends of The Carrs said "Two new courts would replace the existing worn out facilities and all the play and sports facilities on The Carrs would be located in one area. This would enable easier management of the tennis courts and, with greater visibility, better protection against vandalism and hooliganism.
"All of The Carrs beyond the first footbridge from the Parish Hall car park would then be returned to a natural state to be enjoyed by residents, visitors and wildlife for the foreseeable future."
Before they go any further Friends of the Carrs would like to have your views. The consultation period finishes on July 15th, you can complete the questionnaire on The Friends of the Carrs website.
Colin added "We are hoping that if the move goes ahead the work will start in the Autumn because the courts are barely used during the winter months so the tennis players will not be inconvenienced and the new courts should be ready for use by the spring of 2013.
"Also the Town Council, in conjunction with Transition Wilmslow, are wanting to establish a Jubilee Wood and have approached us about planting this on The Carrs. After some negotiation and a lot of thought the area to the rear of the current tennis courts has been identified as a good place to do this with some planting going out onto the area occupied by the courts at present, so as to disguise the straight lines of the hedging in that area and make the whole thing look more natural.
"Planting the trees needs to be done in the Autumn but the ground needs to be ready for that so getting started on the courts is a prerequisite."
The area marked in red on the above map shows the approximate location of where the new the tennis courts would go if the response to the consultation exercise is positive.
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