Tennis body pledges £5m to Murray 'legacy' sports centre

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has pledged £5m towards a proposed community tennis and sports centre at Park of Keir near Dunblane.

The project led by Judy Murray includes plans for a multi-sport site including outdoor tennis and padel courts, and indoor tennis and pickleball courts.

The building will also recognise the "many achievements" of the Murray family and "their contribution to tennis in Scotland and Britain".

The project faces opposition from local campaigners who say it should not be built on green belt land.

The LTA said it hoped that the centre would "act as a home for competition and player training alongside Judy’s programme to encourage greater participation in sport and build a workforce of community coaches."

The funding is agreed subject to the centre receiving all the necessary planning approvals from the local authority later this year.

Judy Murray said she was "delighted" at the LTA's funding commitment, calling it a "huge investment in Scottish tennis and community sport."

She said: "I’ve been working closely with (LTA chief executive) Scott Lloyd and the LTA over several years to bring the plans to fruition and we will continue to work in partnership to deliver a legacy for Scotland.

"We're now hopeful that our other partners will commit their support to this important and exciting project, and to invest in other community tennis facilities across the UK."

Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Mark Ruskell is one of those opposing the project.

He told BBC Scotland's Lunchtime Live: "I think it's really important that there's an Andy Murray legacy, that's not in doubt.

"But I don't believe that the best way to deliver that is through building a private tennis resort that's on protected green belt land, that's inaccessible for most people in Scotland.

"We've already got tennis facilities in Dunblane and there's a national tennis centre just down the road at Stirling University.

"I'd like to see that Andy Murray legacy spread out to communities in Scotland that perhaps don't have tennis courts and facilities, that absolutely need it."

Andy Murray, a two-time singles champion at Wimbledon, recently played at this year's tournament for the final time, ahead of his retirement.

Earlier this month, former world number one tennis player Billie Jean King backed the project.

Speaking on X, formerly Twitter, she said: "Surely creating a base in Scotland for Andy, Jamie and Judy to give back to their sport by doing what they do brilliantly, developing the next generation of coaches and players is the best legacy for them."

The Scottish government approved planning permission in principle for the centre in December 2021, following an appeal by the developers.

Stirling Council had rejected plans for the Park of Keir development, which also includes housing and a hotel.

However, Scottish ministers overruled the decision, saying the benefits of the £37.5m plan would "outweigh" the loss of greenbelt land.

Approval is subject to 22 conditions set out by the government.

Ministers approved the plan despite a Scottish government-appointed reporter recommending that the appeal be refused.

The LTA's chief executive Scott Lloyd said: “Judy and her family have made an enormous contribution to tennis in Scotland and across Britain.

"We’re proud to be supporting this project which will deliver both a tennis centre of national significance for Scotland, but also an important community facility for the people of Scotland."