The current operator, VP Tennis Club, has successfully managed this community club from when it had zero members in 2012. The agreement has always been that if VP Tennis increased participation, that WDC would provide the facility upgrades needed. 

However, so far VP Tennis has had to manage failed courts, delays in resurfacing, lockdowns due to Covid, a forced change in venue due to the Commonwealth Games and now uncertainty about the resurfacing in August 2022 despite it being less than two months away. All of this is outside of their control. VP Tennis was willing to take all of this on and was still providing a full time coaching programme up until this week. However, now on top of all of the above, WDC have announced that there will a tender process four years before the current licence is due to end.

The tender is based on an appraisal report in 2021...

VP Tennis has overwhelming support by members and non members alike, which was highlighted by over 60 positive emails from families during the appraisal. Unfortunately this was glossed over.

Instead, the focus was on money.

However, many points were not considered.

1. VP Tennis was due to have new courts in 2018. In the 2016 agreement VP Tennis would then have been paying a higher court rental. Instead due to the failing courts, less court rental was paid. This is not mentioned in the report.
2. We question the £10000 in clubhouse expenses. What does this include and as we do not have sole use why are they all deemed to be our expenses? If we knew this would be a factor in going to tender we would not have used the clubhouse. 
3. We have already offered a sinking fund and support this idea. In 2020 we offered £20000 towards the new courts. 
4. When the new courts were completed we only put the pricing up a little in comparison to other venues. This has meant that participation has increased as people can see the improvements but are not put off by steep price hikes. There is no mention of this.
5. We independently set up clubspark at no cost to the council. This was members led and did not cost the club anything. Therefore no prices were passed onto the members/non members. Again a small operation can make improvements like this, judging what is best for all concerned.  
6. We have offered to buy a proper hitting wall and bike rack for the park. Over the last ten years we are very aware of what the local players would like to improve the club and are willing to work towards this. 
7. We have not asked for any funding towards the coaching programme since 2014. The coaching programme is sustainable and the only limitation has been the number of safe courts. Again this should be included in the report.
8. The club pays 50% of the coaching courses for level 1 to level 3 coaching staff. Again the report makes no mention of these types of community benefits. 
9. The report does not mention the number of free school coaching sessions, free Open Days or discounted 8 & U coaching available. Again this brings huge benefit for the local community but unfortunately there's no neat figure that you can attach to this. 

However, the main criticism of the report is that we are being judged against outcomes we were never asked to fulfil. We were asked to increase participation. Why are we therefore being judged by other financial markers retrospectively? If the goalposts have moved surely we deserve a chance to adapt before we are deemed to be failing?

The report also states that all four venues (VP, St Nics, Christchurch and Abbey Fields) do not need to be included in the tender. All four venues were voted to be included in December 2021 by Cabinet. However, already Abbey Fields has been excluded. There is flexibility here.

This petition asks that due to all of the above, WDC show some good will to the current operator and that, like Abbey Fields, the tender is delayed. In this case, that the tender process begins no earlier than June 2024 for Victoria Park.