MADAM,

I am a member of Monmouth Tennis Club and therefore have access to the three tennis courts, by way of a code to the padlocked gate. 

Monmouth Tennis Club is part of the Monmouth Sports Association along with the cricket, rugby, football and bowls clubs and I am fully aware of the intricacies and peculiarities of this organisation and associated ’Village Green’ status of Chippenham.

However, beyond the three tennis courts of Monmouth Tennis Club there is a multi-use games area with a basket ball board, a netball post and multi-coloured lines on the surface denoting various sports and a cricket net (belonging to the cricket club).

There used to be tennis nets but these were removed due to one being vandalised. 

With the installation of the cricket clubs net the area has been reduced somewhat and no hard surface sport can be properly played and with the access gate to this area also being locked no-one can use the MUGA.

It has always seemed to me somewhat ridiculous that a town the size of Monmouth does not have public tennis courts, basket ball or netball courts. It has also been very frustrating and frightening to see teenagers climbing the very tall fencing that surrounds the aforementioned area in order to gain access. 

I had a very pleasant yet despairing conversation with one young lad last Wednesday who, with his friends, was playing basket ball and having a picnic with their ’girlfriends’. He desperately wants to play basket ball but has nowhere to play. His school seem to be less than forthcoming in assisting in this and, of course, once the summer holidays begin school premises will be closed.

Monmouth needs its residents and visitors to be able to access full sporting facilities, outside of the Leisure Centre without having to belong to a club. 

It was such a delight to see young people out in the sun and fresh air, getting exercise rather than loitering on the streets, plugged into their phones or inside being couch potatoes. We need to encourage exercise more not less and outside of school and membership of a club and especially in this age of so many obese and unfit children and young people. 

It has always seemed most peculiar to me that Monmouth has a splendid skate park, football and rugby pitches upon which non-members can play yet there is no public provision for tennis, basket ball or netball.

--This situation needs to be addressed.

Karen Blake

(Monmouth)