The council’s executive committee has reaffirmed that it has the £35,000 ready for the work, on the condition that the club signs a 21 year lease for the site.
During the council’s February meeting, Councillor John Skinner asked council leader David Christian if the club had been informed that the council was prepared to pay for the work.
Mr Christian said that it was aware and that ’the lease is waiting to be signed’.
He added: ’We won’t do any work until the lease is signed. They’ve had it since November so I’d advise them to put pen to paper.
’This council will not spend more money on that building until they sign the lease.’
Why the club has been stalling on the lease was not revealed in the council meeting.
We first reported the club had agreed a new 21-year lease last summer. At the time, it was said to be needed for to ensure the club would be eligible for funding from the Lawn Tennis Association for replacement astro turf courts which were nearing the end of their life.
The club was also due to take over responsibility for remedial works with the lease due to run until 2040.
The site had at one point looked at risk before the local authority gave its backing to the future of the tennis and bowls club which play there as the only open space in a dense urban part of Douglas.
However, the executive committee worked to ensure that it would remain an open space and only be used for recreation and not developed for housing.
There’s also a basketball court on the site and a snooker club based in the Victorian Pavilion.