A TENNIS club based in Cae Glas Park has approached Oswestry Town Council for support after being forced to adapt plans for a new clubhouse.

Oswestry Team Tennis (OTT) had planning permission given for a new clubhouse at the park last year but in a letter to the council ahead of Wednesday's full meeting, it says a new approach is needed.

A spokesman for OTT, in the document, said the club now plans to install a modular/pre-fabricated building rather than undergo a complete renovation and set out why.

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“Spiralling costs due to inflation and the impact of covid, have been the main issues to overcome,” they said.

“Costs have unfortunately gone beyond what we can realistically afford and provide value for money for what the club needs.

“Spending £120,000 or thereabouts is not realistic for the quality of the existing workshop and a cheaper solution needs to be found.

“Having contractors on site for up to six months will create unacceptable disruption for the companies that use the car park on a daily basis, so we need to find a swifter and acceptable solution to delivering this project.

“A modular building is more cost-effective and fit for purpose and can be slotted in under a day, thereby reducing the timescales enormously to successfully complete this project.

Our club had the opportunity, as a one-off to buy an off-the-shelf modular building from R G Stone, a company based in Weston Rhyn.

“They will undertake the whole of the project including demolition and prepare the site, though you should be aware that there was a limited timeframe to this specific offer, and this has now expired.

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“Although our club has done remarkably well to raise £60000 to date less £4k professional fees, our ability as a small club to raise the rest of the funding required on our own is in question, even with external grant aid.

“We also doubt that funders would want to come on board with the level of spend required for renovation, and be able to justify value for money, compared to other projects against which we would be competing for limited funding.”

Oswestry Town Council, in its agenda item for the meeting at the Guildhall, says that more information including legal advice, will be sought but ‘an in principle’ resolution is recommended.

The recommendations will be that OTT seeks new planning permission, oversees the project and continues to work with the Cawe Glas Park management group.