Local residents remain waiting for news on when the tennis courts in Abbey Fields will be brought back into use.

The courts next to the park's leisure centre have been fenced off for several years while construction of the new swimming pools continued.

The multi-million-pound pools opened again in July, and have been well received across the town.

However, councillors are now pressing for answers as to when the tennis courts will be rebuilt, as they currently sit unusable.

Speaking at the most recent Warwick District Council meeting, Cllr Richard Hales said: "I was lucky to be in Abbey Fields today in the new swimming pools with my children on school holidays.

"It was great to see the facilities there and how beautiful it looks, and the facilities that are there for the residents.

"Obviously next to that is the tennis courts, which look quite ugly and quite bleak."

He added: "We are in a danger where we have a beautiful building on one side, and the tennis courts on the other side which are quite ugly."

In response, leader Cllr Ian Davison said the council is committed to restoring the courts, but was unable to give an exact timeline.

"It has always been the intention that the tennis courts would be dealt with and improved afterwards," he responded.

"I am committed to doing that.

"We need to check where the money will come from."

When the new £22 million contracts for the Abbey Fields Swimming Pool were signed in 2024 with developers Kier, the council confirmed the fee did not include the new tennis courts or renovating the duck feeding station.

The council needs to fund these works separately.

Cllr Richard Dickson also pointed out the council is obliged to finish the courts and the duck feeding station as they were included in the planning application approved for the redevelopment of the leisure centre in 2021.

"Condition four of the decision notice going back to 2021, stated that the tennis and basketball courts should be restored for use within three months of the completion of the development," he told the council.

"The completion of the development predates the pools' opening by several weeks.

"So my estimate is the council is in severe danger of not fulfilling that condition."

Cllr Davison replied: "It was our intention to get the work done, that condition underlines the importance of that."

Nub News has twice asked the district council for clarity on when the works will be completed, but has received no response.

Cabinet is expected to sign off on the finances for the works before they can start. It is understood this may not be discussed until October.