To the board and management of Hackney Tennis

It has come to our attention that a petition to the board is being circulated requesting that adult tennis at HT "should not be considerably more expensive than playing for other clubs in the area". That cost is put at around £300 a year.

We appreciate that the idea of comparing private clubs (which own their courts) with courts provided to the public in parks could be deemed to be misleading. We know it is ultimately down to HT in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney to determine the fees associated with using public courts.

However, we would invite the board to consider the issue of costs for the local tennis community in the round, based on a comparison with the costs of playing at other fairly local clubs. For example, elsewhere in north London, a family can typically join and gain full, unlimited court access for £450 a year, an adult for £300, a junior for £60, and over 60s (plus off peak users) for £200.

Given the diverse community HT serves, the board may also want to consider introducing further membership categories that would enjoy preferential treatment to the general public.

We appreciate the board's consideration of these matters.