New lease of life for Preston Park’s pétanque court

The pétanque court at Preston Park has been given a new lease of life and is already attracting new players. 

The court has been upgraded and improved in a joint initiative between the council, local residents, Edburton Contractors and Support at Pride.  

Work has included resurfacing and levelling of the playing surface and installing a new fence around the borders. 

Come and try it

The new look court was unveiled at a ‘Come and try it’ day, which attracted around 45 residents of all ages, with many signing up to join the local pétanque group. 

Guests included Peter Aldersey from Pétanque England who is responsible for pétanque development. 

Council, community and businesses coming together

Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet member for Sports, Recreation and Libraries, said: “It’s heartening to see the council, community and businesses come together to bring this pétanque court back into use. 

“This much-improved facility will not only be enjoyed by visitors to Preston Park but also help to raise awareness of the sport across the city.”  

A graphic shows two pictures of a petanque court, one before improvements and one after improvements, with before and after written in text indicating which is which

Image shows the petanque court before and after recent improvements.

Much-needed TLC

Over the past few years, the court surface had been damaged as vehicles were driven over the surface and cars parked, much to the dismay of local group members. 

James Harding, our City Parks operations manager, said: “The pétanque court in the park has been in need of some TLC, and maintenance has been a challenge over the years. 

“We are extremely grateful to Edburton’s contract manager Alan Watts who has very generously restored and levelled the court surface, and to Support at Pride, which provided funding to install a post and rail fence to secure the court and protect from any future damage.”  

A firm feature of the park

Local group member Steve Jordan added: “Our ‘Come and try it’ day was a resounding success. “At one point we had 45 players on the court and signed up 15 new members to the group.  

“The interest in the game, the court and the group was amazing and the court is now a firm feature of the park.” 

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