ALTON Town Council has appointed a contractor to refurbish the old tennis and netball courts at Anstey Park at a cost of £137,000.

To include a multi-use games area to be marked out for tennis, netball, football and basketball, floodlighting and electricals, a vandal-proof shelter and ball wall, the move was agreed at full council on February 7.

People present at a town council open spaces committee meeting on February 21 heard that, weather permitting, the work will start on April 2, with an anticipated completion date of the third week of May.

The installation of replacement floodlighting is subject to planning consent, and the application is due to be determined by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) on or before March 29.

The plans have been drawn up in conjunction with Alton Ants Netball coach Judy Talbot, who put in a request that a double-sided ball wall be incorporated into the fence line between the courts and an enlarged skate park area, so that it can serve a dual purpose.

Ms Talbot also requested two clear plastic dugouts be installed so there is somewhere to place kit bags undercover, and that the floodlights be rendered operational.

Town clerk Leah Coney confirmed that a basketball hoop would also feature on the reverse side of the netball court wall.

Also that the new multi-use area would be open 24/7 with free public access, at no cost, but with exclusive use being given for evening netball training sessions.

The works are to be project managed by Hampshire County Council and grant applications remain ongoing to offset the additional costs currently being met by the town council through a community infrastructure levy.

In a report to full council, Mrs Coney confirmed that there was already £100,000 secured toward the cost of the project through S106/CIL developers’ contributions, from work going on in the town, and Alton Town Council had budgeted £10,000 in the 2018/19 budget to cover the remaining project management fees from the county council, which will cover site supervision and a 12 months defects liability period.

The fees for outline and detailed design, feasibility, contract documentation and tendering by mini-competition, under the Hampshire County Council landscape and external works framework, had already been incurred and councillors approved the cost of £7,832.50 within the current financial budget.

Additional grant funding is being sought via IGas Energy Community Fund (£5,000), Tesco Bags for Life (up to £4,000), Hampshire Playing Fields Association (£2,000), EHDC councillors’ grants (£6,000), and Hampshire Netball (£2,000).