A LAUNCH event is due to take place to celebrate the newly revamped tennis courts in Thornbury.

The public courts at Mundy Playing Fields have recently undergone a full facelift including a deep clean, full repaint and reline, plus new nets and posts.

A free event will take place on Saturday, June 22 including competitions, prizes and refreshments.

Thornbury Town Council say members of the public are invited to even challenge town councillors or the mayor to a game.

Meanwhile, a new pay and play booking system is also due to launch on Friday, June 14.

The new system will involve players booking and paying £5 for a court online.

Previously, members of the public could play at the public courts for free.

It is understood the system has been brought in to allow players to guarantee a court.

The town council says it will also be running a scheme to allow players on a lower income to pay only £3 per hour.

A council spokesperson said: “We are delighted to launch the new booking system for the revamped courts.

“The additional income generated by the scheme will help to guarantee the future of these facilities. 

“We have worked alongside the Lawn Tennis Association in developing the system.

“They have emphasised the benefits this can bring, especially as many councils struggle to cover the cost of keeping their courts in a good condition.”

They added: “We recognise that people live busy lives and have become used to being able to book in advance to guarantee they can do what they want, at the time they want to do it.  

“When we carried out a public consultation on introducing the system, the majority of respondents said that it was a good idea to be able to book courts, even if that involved paying a fee, and that they would be more likely to use the courts if they were able to book them.”  

The free launch event will take place between 2.00pm and 4.00pm at the public courts on Saturday, June 22.

All ages and abilities are welcome.

There will be rackets and balls available. 

Courts are available to book from Sunday, June 23 onwards and can be booked through the Thornbury Town Council's website. 

After booking, players will receive a PIN code which can be used on the gate PIN pad to allow entry.

Each PIN will only work for the time of the booking.  

The town council says the revamp of the courts has been made possible in part due to a s106 grant from South Gloucestershire Council.