News from Westminster Labour

Westminster Labour steps up campaign on behalf of tennis coaches

Labour Councillors are stepping up their campaign to persuade Westminster City Council to allow Brad Roberts and Eduardo Caffarenae, two long-standing and popular independent tennis coaches, to continue working at Paddington Recreation Ground.

Last year Westminster City Council stopped both tennis coaches from working at Paddington Rec and demanded a 1,000 percent increase in the charges for using the courts to £1,000 a month, way beyond the charges made by another Council in London or the rest of the country. And last autumn Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, presented a 300 name petition to the Council from tennis players who are furious at the loss of their tennis coaches.

Now, Councillor Dimoldenberg has asked Councillor Audrey Lewis, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, three key questions:

1. If the proposed £1,000 a month licence fee for private tennis coaches at Paddington Rec Tennis Courts is such a good deal and good business opportunity, please can she say how many private tennis coaches have signed up so far for this amazing deal?

2. How does the proposed £1,000 a month licences fee for private tennis coaches using Paddington Rec Tennis Courts compare with the licence fees being charged currently to private tennis coaches for the use of tennis courts run by Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea Councils?

3. Does she believe that tennis players using the courts at Paddington Recreation Ground should be able to continue to have lessons from their tennis coach of choice, particularly from those tennis coaches who have served the local community for so many years?

Councillor Dimoldenberg said:

“The Council has destroyed the livelihoods of these two popular, hard-working tennis coaches by forcing them off the tennis courts and by demanding unjustifiably high charges. And residents, too, are very unhappy at the Council telling them who can and who cannot give them tennis lessons. We demand answers from the Council to our questions and the reinstatement of Brad and Eduardo.”

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