Tennis courts work update:
The contractors undertaking the work have stripped the old courts in Victoria Park – using the soil that’s come from Mary Baily to reinstate the levels here 
Then they’ve built up the formation (base) layer of the three new courts using a combination of new stone and the suitable materials taken from the old courts
They’ve also completed the drainage works on the new courts – including a soakaway at the Somerset Road of the courts
Our Environment Manager has inspected the depth, composition and levels of the base layer – and happily everything was approved and signed off.
Despite the wet December – and now a wet January, for added measure – the project is running nicely to schedule. Which means the courts should be finished and good to go this spring!
Next steps
With this first major stage of the works inspected and signed off, the project can now progress, with building the next layer of court foundations, looking something like this:
- They’ll be laying a permeable geotextile membrane over the existing stone layer, before adding the next layer of stone on top of this. Adding this membrane will prevent the two layers mixing together in the future – something that could result in decreased strength and stability; and could impact on the courts’ drainage.
- The additional stone that gets laid over the membrane will be in line with the industry standard ‘Type 3’. This means it will be uniformly graded crushed aggregate with less ‘fines’ (small, sand-sized particles). This will provide a free-draining foundation for the courts.
- The stone coming in for this next layer means site deliveries over the next two weeks of the project
- We’re then scheduled to inspect this foundation layer at the start of February.
We’ll be working to have the footpath that runs by the old tennis courts open again ASAP too – although please note that this path will likely be closed for at least another fortnight.
