Call it a Canopy

The LTA and ECB are opting for canopy-style indoor structures as part of their latest bids to make tennis and cricket more accessible, whatever the weather.

The LTA has ambitious plans to spend £125m on 96 new UK indoor projects, which it expects to be completed within the next 10 years.  Scott Lloyd, Chief Executive of the LTA, said “the goal is for 95% of the population in England and Wales to have an indoor centre within a 30-mile drive.”

The ECB are also planning to build high-class facilities in areas that are desperately lacking suitable places to play.  ECB chair Richard Thompson said: “These state-of-the-art all-weather cricket domes will be transformative for the communities they serve, opening up cricket to more people year-round and providing top-class facilities for elite players too. They are an important part of our plans to break down barriers and make cricket the most inclusive team sport.”

The investment in large-scale indoor sports venues is music to our ears.  We have been waxing lyrical about the benefits of indoor sports facilities for decades – They boost participation of the sport itself, helping to nurture home-grown talent.  They promote an active lifestyle at a time when the nation’s health is of top priority in order to take pressure off the NHS.  They can help bring social cohesion to broken communities and they provide opportunities for minority groups to engage.

We appreciate that a dose of fresh air and vitamin D is invigorating for our health but, in our unpredictable climate, it is not always possible or particularly comfortable to be outside for sport.  The latest plans to facilitate tennis and cricket indoors will ensure that our great British weather is never a barrier to participation.

Typically, we have not described our sports structures as canopies.  By definition, “a canopy is a shelter that resembles a roof” and, in our mind, this makes them sound quite flimsy.  A shelter can help shield you from the wind and rain but if it’s driving wind and rain, you’re still going to get cold and wet.

We would probably recommend a canopy roof with retractable side-walls so that players are protected from the horizontal wind and rain on those days but if it’s only a roof that is required, then there are other design options we can consider to make sure the playing conditions and environment are consistent throughout the year.

What is reassuring from our side is that the new design guidelines identify framed fabric structures as being the most cost-effective solution for these new indoor sports facilities.  They also advise developers to work with SAPCA accredited manufacturers to ensure the canopies will be anything but flimsy.  We tick both those boxes and are confident that our bespoke approach means that we can design a structure that meets our own standards, as well as the client’s specification and these guidelines.

We are happy to call our structures canopies if that is the terminology chosen by the sports’ governing bodies but, whether we label them as canopies, domes, fabric-covered structures, sports barns, superstructures or covering systems and whether they are single span, interconnected or telescopic, fabricated with galvanised steel, pvc, repurposed wood or glulam, what is consistent across every build is the high quality of materials we use.  The finished product, no matter what it is called, will not only look great but will be robust and durable enough to weather all weather fronts for decades.  Nothing flimsy to see here!