The following is a press release from the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

The tennis courts at Romilly Park are set to undergo major improvement works in a joint project between the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Tennis Wales and Sport Wales.

Work will see the courts transformed, with ultra-modern surfaces installed and a new booking system to ensure no-one has to wait for a game or risk not being able to play.

This refurbishment is essential to ensure tennis facilities remain a feature of Romilly Park and it is hoped the move will encourage more people to use them.

Cllr Kathryn McCaffer, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Arts and Culture, said: "The Council is committed to providing the best possible facilities for its residents to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle.

"This objective is shared by both Tennis Wales and Sport Wales who are key partners in the proposed refurbishment of the courts at Romilly Park.

"The project is firmly committed to increasing the number of people regularly playing tennis at this much-loved location."

The Council has always set charges for the use of its tennis courts but has not collected fees for a number of years as it has not been economic to do so.

Use of the Tennis Wales ClubSpark court booking system overcomes this and makes customers aware of the availability of the courts.

The courts will operate on a non-profit basis, with money reinvested into maintenance and any surplus used to fund tennis activity in Romilly Park and the wider Vale.

They will be available for anyone to book within park opening hours and accessed through a security gate that will help deter vandalism.

There will be no membership or priority system in place, but regular users have the option to becoming subscribers, which offers a cheaper rate for them and their family.

Throughout the year, there will also be regular opportunities to play tennis free and Tennis Wales intends to carry out community engagement activities to encourage more people to take up the sport.

An extensive coaching programme will also operate from the courts, which will become the long-term home for Barry Community Tennis Club, offering regular opportunities for people to play and socialise.

Jamie Clewer, Head of Participation for Tennis Wales, said: "Safeguarding and investing in park sites across Wales is a key part of our tennis opened strategy to ensure that park courts remain open and safe for the long term as an opportunity for people to play the sport locally. Park courts are a crucial location where many people first play the sport or play socially with friends and family.

"Romilly Park is a much-loved location in Barry and we want to ensure tennis remains a key part of the parks attraction for local people. We're going to work with the local community to provide free teacher training and tennis equipment into local schools, offer community coaching programmes for adults and children to engage more players and ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to try tennis and see it as the sport for them."