00:00and with that racket summer on the
00:08strand was officially underway as Medway
00:11councillors and community figures
00:14opened a brand new set of refurbished
00:18tennis courts. The strand has always been
00:20a great place for families for people and
00:22I absolutely loved it when I came here
00:24as a kid but what I did see over years
00:26was decline so when I was growing up
00:28there were new facilities but after
00:30that the investment stopped it stalled
00:31and actually what we now see is that
00:33opportunity again for the next
00:35generation. Where I've stood right now is
00:37one of the old tennis courts along the
00:41strand as you can see it's a little run
00:44down but this is where regeneration work
00:48is really starting in earnest. You see it
00:52right there the brand new courts as a
00:55result of local tennis association
00:58investment. So I grew up in Gravesend on
01:01playing on park courts you know it's
01:03accessible it gives them the journey to
01:06start their tennis. Health and well-being is
01:09really important for young children now
01:11parents are looking for things to do that
01:14don't cost too much money. It's not just
01:17the £170,000 refurbishment on display
01:21with a new outdoor water play area
01:24causing quite a splash especially given
01:29it hasn't cost the taxpayer a single
01:32penny with money being raised from
01:36housing developers in the local area. This
01:39section 106 money isn't without
01:43controversy however. The local democracy
01:46reporting service previously revealed
01:49how Medway council had nearly £20 million
01:53in similar unused contributions meant for
01:58education, health and leisure projects
02:01like this one. We will spend section 106
02:04money responsibly and as quickly as
02:07possible. There are sometimes circumstances
02:10where to get access to that funding a
02:12developer needs to sell a certain amount
02:14of houses so it's never a kind of one
02:16size fits all. Medway council are planning
02:20further regeneration work in the area but
02:24for those hitting the courts already it
02:26seems to be pretty ace so far. Oli Lieder in
02:30Gillingham.
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