CAMPAIGNERS fighting to keep tennis facilities at a nearby sports centre are hoping fresh options for its future will be made clear at information sessions being held next week.

A petition to save tennis at Batley Sports and Tennis Centre has been signed by more than 1,000 people and members of Cleckheaton Lawn Tennis Club have been encouraging people to back the campaign.

The club uses the Windmill Lane leisure complex for its regular coaching sessions for junior members, particularly over the winter months.

Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL), which operates the centre, has been exploring options for the future of tennis facilities there and initially held information sessions in July to inform users of proposals.

Now KAL is holding further sessions next week to update players on their progress.

Lisa Hunter, 50, of Cleckheaton, uses the centre on a regular basis and is a member of the independent Batley ITI Tennis Club, which runs it.

She told the Telegraph & Argus: “We had been given an outline of what they would like to do at the centre. At the moment there are four courts, so it’s a big space. It doesn’t make a loss but they think they need to generate more revenue from it because they are getting their funding cut.

“We were told the options were to turn the tennis courts into soft play or a climbing centre, as well as having 5-a-side football courts.

“Otherwise they are looking at keeping two courts, and having football for the other half. But with only two courts it can’t claim to be a tennis centre - it isn’t enough.

“We hope that at these next sessions KAL will come back with alternative proposals that are more suitable.”

Batley Sports & Tennis Centre has four indoor courts and four floodlit outdoor courts, offering group and private coaching for juniors and adults as well as pay-and-play sessions.

A spokesman for KAL said: “KAL can confirm that we are holding additional information sessions on 28th and 29th September.

“We are inviting current tennis customers to a series of further sessions, where an update on progress will be given, along with a summary of the options considered and detail on the next steps to be taken.”

Previously the organisation said any alternative provision at the centre would be dependent on an agreement to borrow the necessary funding from Kirklees Council.

In addition said they were continuing to “work closely with the Lawn Tennis Association to develop an alternative proposal to retain tennis provision at the site”.