Last updated October 2026
Northamptonshire clubs, schools and homeowners planning a new tennis court or a resurface now deal with one of two councils created in 2021. For a club, the LTA’s figure for a set of four new courts is £150,000 for porous asphalt up to £200,000 for acrylic clay (VAT basis not stated); Sport England’s Q4 2025 guide puts a fenced, lit pair of macadam courts at £260,000 with fees. A single garden court costs far less, and the survey prices it to your plot. See tennis court construction for what each surface gives you.
Which council handles planning for our court?
Since 2021 there are two. North Northamptonshire Council covers the former Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough areas, and West Northamptonshire Council covers Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire. They replaced eight councils, so if your school or club last dealt with a borough or district council, the contact has changed. Fencing height and floodlights are what planners look at; for a resurface on the same footprint, confirm with your council before ordering. Our planning guide covers the steps.
Is there Green Belt in Northamptonshire?
No. Northamptonshire lies outside all 16 Green Belt areas listed in the government’s 2024 to 2025 release, so a new court on open land is not held to the Green Belt openness test. Neighbours, light spill and highways access are the questions instead.
Have the new councils set out what sports facilities they need?
Both have. West Northamptonshire’s playing pitch and sports facilities strategies were completed in March 2024 and went to scrutiny in April 2024, with operators such as Kings Park Tennis Centre consulted. North Northamptonshire has a Leisure Facilities Strategy for 2024 to 2041 and a Playing Pitch Strategy with a site-by-site action plan. A club whose courts or pitches appear in those plans can point to them in a planning application or grant bid, so look up your site before you commission drawings.
Can a tennis club borrow to build courts?
Yes, from the LTA, if it qualifies. Its facility loans carry 5% fixed interest, with a 50% discretionary reduction in more deprived areas, and are open to properly constituted, not-for-profit, inclusive clubs, not individuals or companies limited by shares. Covered courts are prioritised and resurfacing is not mentioned in the scheme, so for a resurface plan on reserves or other grants. Our funding guide sets out each route.
Our club has courts already. Resurface or rebuild?
Usually resurface, if the base is sound. The LTA’s averages for resurfacing run from £12,500 to £17,500, a fraction of a rebuild, and the survey checks for cracks, drainage and edge damage before recommending either. If three courts are due at once, doing them together shares the set-up. See tennis court resurfacing.
What about football and multi-sport?
West Northamptonshire agreed in 2021 to work with the Northamptonshire FA and the Football Foundation to find sites for new and improved 3G pitches and better changing rooms. A school or club with land for a pitch should contact the county FA early. A smaller multi-use court is covered on our MUGA page, and every band is on the costs page.
How it works
- 01Send a plan and photosThe site, the surface and the date it must reopen.
- 02We check the groundLevels and where the water drains.
- 03Written quoteBuilt around your reopening date.
Sources
- JJ Design, planning in Northamptonshire after the two unitaries, read Oct 2026
- West Northamptonshire Council, playing pitch and sports facilities strategy summary, Apr 2024
- North Northamptonshire Council, leisure and sports strategies, Mar 2025
- Northamptonshire FA, council commits to grassroots football, July 2021
- MHCLG, local authority Green Belt statistics 2024 to 2025, Oct 2025
- LTA, quick access loan scheme, read Oct 2026
- LTA, how much it costs to build or renovate a tennis court, read Oct 2026
What does the Sport England court figure cover?
More than the surface. The £260,000 for two lit macadam courts includes external works and 6% fees for project management, site investigation and planning, but leaves out VAT, land, poor ground, difficult access and long service connections. On a Northamptonshire village site, a long cable run for floodlights or soft ground can move the price noticeably, which the survey checks.
We want a court at home. What should we send?
A sketch of the garden with its boundaries, photos from each corner, the widest access point for machinery, and whether you want lights. Northampton’s older terraced streets rarely have the room, but larger plots in the villages often do; the survey confirms what fits.
Who runs a Northamptonshire build?
We arrange a vetted local surfacing contractor for Northamptonshire jobs. We confirm who within 2 working days, or tell you if we can’t. You deal with Alex Winser throughout, and nothing is booked until you have the written quote and know who is doing the work.