For many years Tennis Borders has championed a four-court indoor facility to help advance participation in the sport across the region.

Now it is hoped that a centre will be provided as part of the new Galashiels Academy state-of-the-art campus.

However, funding is not yet in place – although national agency sportscotland is ‘extremely supportive’ of the plan.

At a meeting of Scottish Borders Council on Thursday (December 15), council leader and Galashiels representative Euan Jardine said: “I think it is really vital that we get this right and council officers and colleagues at Live Borders have been working with sportscotland to progress a four-court indoor tennis centre.

“This is currently planned to be delivered as part of the campus project. However, there is no specific funding for this and a funding bid is being prepared to be submitted to sportscotland in early 2023.

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“Sportscotland are extremely supportive of this proposal and council officers will continue to work with our partners to secure funding to deliver an indoor tennis centre. We expect clarification on this in the first half of 2023.”

Melrose councillor David Parker, the council’s executive member for heath and wellbeing, said: “It has long been the wish of Tennis Borders to have an indoor sports court for tennis, they have championed this for a number of years.

“My understanding is that the proposals in relation to funding could be short in terms of funding, so could the leader commit to the council considering putting in some additional money if the funding falls short?”

Mr Jardine, of the Conservatives, said: “There is a £400k cost of an indoors tennis court and we have previously looked at this at Tweedbank but then the numbers didn’t stack up there.

“I don’t want to commit right now but this is a discussion we can take away and speak to officers to see where there is flexibility because it is something that is vitally important to look at.”