Backhanders ruled out - so far

The decision by Swansea Council’s ruling cabinet to close the much frequented tennis centre at Morfa is throwing up an active opposition campaign. Users are lobbying individual councillors at home and there is already some conjecture that the drastic measure might be abandoned by members of the ruling parties who are starting to feel the heat.

Cabinet factotums have denied that plans exist to sell off the centre and land alongside. Yet it is claimed that a report circulated at an earlier budget group meeting gave details of a sale would bring in a sizeable capital receipt, even with today’s depressed property prices. The report throws up some questions about whether the council could get away with sale for a residential scheme with riverside properties already under construction only a tennis-ball lob away. There is also a warning that expanding the existing Morfa Park retail scheme would screw up any chance of a city centre revival.

If the closure plan does get ruled out of court, then many in the tennis-playing community expect that the Council’s fall-back will be to propose a user ‘buyout’ in much the same way that the maintenance of bowling greens was transferred over to league clubs a few years ago.

But one issue yet to be clearedup is whether there is a chance of sports grant aid given to the Council in 2003 for upgrading the centre will be clawed back. If this happens then the local authority stands to lose more by closing the facility than in keeping it open.