Future looks bright for Borders tennis club, thanks to new £25,000 floodlights

Players at Innerleithen Tennis Club need no longer fear being left in the dark after sunset as the new lights, costing £25,000, will much extend their daily playing time even once daylight hours start shortening.

Planning consent for the lights was granted by Scottish Borders Council officials in October and they were originally due to be up and running by the end of last year, but hold-ups caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic led to that timescale slipping.

Their installation follows resurfacing of the Victoria Park club’s courts in 2018, meaning that, with the Scottish Government currently lifting its coronavirus lockdown laws and allowing a gradual resumption of outdoor sports, players can enjoy not only a return to competition but also much-upgraded facilities.

“It’s a transformative step for the club and its 100-plus members,” said club secretary Guy Wotherspoon.

“Our previous floodlights were rather aged and ineffective, which meant that playing time was hugely restricted throughout the year.”

The arrival of the new lights means coaching of the club’s thriving junior section can now begin earlier and end later in the year rather than being condensed into the summer months.

“It’s great news too for Borders Tennis League club matches, which often go on well into the evening,” added Wotherspoon.

“Once league tennis is able to return, we will no longer have to worry about fading light, which often left matches uncompleted.”

The installation of the new floodlights was largely bankrolled by BCCF Environmental via the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s landfill communities fund scheme, with the remainder coming from the club’s coffers.

This is the second time in three years that the Berwickshire-based company has made use of that fund to help out the club, having also helped pay for the previous resurfacing of its old, worn and slippery courts, now painted green and purple.

For further information on the club, including membership and coaching opportunities, visit clubspark.lta.org.uk/innerleithenltc