Montrose Tennis Club has admitted being down but not out after councillors volleyed a £5,000 grant bid out of court.
The authority’s development and enterprise committee this week rejected the community grant application to help support the club’s mini-tennis ambition, telling the pioneering outfit they had “had enough” cash help from the council.
With a thriving membership of about 300, Montrose ranks as one of Courier Country’s most successful tennis clubs and applied for the latest grant to help towards the estimated £60,000 cost of developing mini courts at their Warrack Terrace base.
In their application, the club highlighted mini-tennis as the sport’s major growth area, with benefits for younger players and also those with learning and physical disabilities.
The official committee report recommending the award of the full £5,000 highlighted previous grants for pavilion, lighting and fencing projects and Angus provost Helen Oswald said she felt the council’s support had reached its limit.
“While I applaud the ambition, I feel that in the difficult times we are in, when money is in short supply, for an organisation that has had as many grants as this group has had, I think it is time to draw a line,” she said.
Angus Council leader Iain Gaul said: “This group has had £18,500 since 2007 and I think it’s had enough.”
A move by Arbroath councillor David Fairweather to award the club £1,000 was defeated by 10 votes to two.
Club secretary Rhona Alston said that, while disappointed with the rejection, the club remains committed to delivering the mini courts.
“We have received a good bit of grant aid and we are always very grateful for any support but in quite a short period of time, we have propelled this club to become the envy of tennis in Tayside.
“As a committee, we are always proactive and our members do a huge amount of fundraising each year.
“From the transformation of the clubhouse in 2009, we have gone at a pace that we are happy with.
“We have about £18,000 in our own pot and an application in with sportscotland for this project and if we are successful, that would be a big help.
“The juniors are the growth area and are well worth it, so this is still a target and we will keep at it.”