A tennis club has courted a parish council amid hopes of a fresh start.

Kingsley Tennis Club recently asked Four Marks Parish Council if they could manage the courts off Uplands Lane.

The group is effectively homeless as the gates to Kingsley Tennis Centre were padlocked in September amid plans to replace the indoor courts with padel alternatives.

They enquired to FMPC about managing the courts near the sports pavilion believing their experience and coaching prowess would boost the game in the village.

The outfit wanted to form an active club with coaching in the community and “increased utilisation of the courts” with pay and display still an option for local residents.

Their vision included a desire to work alongside FMPC and a greater goal of creating indoor tennis courts at the site.

But although some councillors were intrigued, the request was declined following a recommendation by the FMPC Community Facilities Committee not to proceed.

Cllr Tim Gebbett said he was hesitant to hand over the responsibility of the courts to a club not local to Four Marks while councillors Andrew Medhurst and Mark Pullen didn’t want to restrict usage for local residents.

Others felt the courts should be maintained for villagers and claimed it wasn’t practical to “have a club with so many members” amid concerns over parking and a possible impact on plans for the pavilion.

Councillors concluded that although the number of people currently using the courts is “not unsubstantial” they are being used and it’s a valuable local facility.