PLANS for a new £2m tennis and squash centre in Dorchester have been hit by a soccer-style, cash crisis.
The Lawn Tennis Association, who had promised to provide nearly half of the cost of an indoor
regional coaching centre in the county town, say they have been forced to slash financial backing for major projects because the revenue from the televising of Wimbledon - their main source of income - is expected to be significantly reduced this year.
The news has come as a massive disappointment to tennis players at Dorchester Tennis and Squash Club.
They have been looking forward to a prestigious development of indoor and outdoor courts after the Duchy of Cornwall offered to give them land at Poundbury and the LTA and Dorset tennis chiefs said they would help them switch from their current headquarters on Duchy land in Weymouth Avenue - where they have three floodlit
tennis courts, three squash courts and a clubhouse with bar and changing facilities.
The club want to move because the site has no room for expansion and their lease from the Duchy expires in seven years time.
Supermarket giants Tesco, whose car park adjoins the club's site, want to take over the land for car parking as part of their own plans to increase the size of their store.
They are also prepared to make a major contribution - thought to be in the region of £1m - towards the cost of relocating the club.
But the project, which has been in the pipeline for several years, was delayed because of uncertainty over the lifting of restrictions placed on the store when it moved to its edge-of-town site.
Club President Mike Clarke said the club were unable to make a decision on the move until the store's expansion plans received the go-ahead.
"This latest news has come as a great disappointment as we have been waiting for a long time for restrictions to be lifted on the expansion of the Tesco store and the ability to make a club decision as to the move," said Mr Clarke in the club's newsletter.
He said the club would now be asking the Duchy if they would
consider renewing the lease on their present site as some members had questioned the need for a move.
As the original Tesco offer was based upon an evaluation of their premises some years ago, they would be asking if they would increase their offer in order to provide similar or improved premises at today's costs.
Dorset's tennis development officer Neil Darragh said the LTA were still "very supportive" of the club's development plans but were recommending they go for a phased development at Poundbury
"To go from a three-court club to a centre with four indoor courts and six outdoor ones is a massive step and I don't know of any other club in the country which has grown like that in one go," he said.
"Dorchester is a very successful three-court club and we are suggesting they begin with six new outdoor courts at Poundbury and prove that the demand is there before developing further."
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