IT'S game set and match after ambitious plans for a new £1.8m indoor tennis centre were given the go-ahead.

Council planners were served with proposals for the state-of-the-art centre in Greenock and have now given the green light to the project.

The centre will be built on a patch of vacant ground and the redundant bowling green at Rankin Park Bowling Club in Greenock.

Inverclyde Council is leading the project in collaboration with Inverclyde Leisure.

The new facility will have three tennis courts, a soft play area with seating and vending, a 12-station fitness gym and additional parking for centre users.

It will also complement the existing grass football pitch, changing pavilion and mountain bike trail at Rankin, along with the neighbouring bowling club.

A council spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to have received planning permission for what is a great opportunity to develop and grow tennis participation in Inverclyde.

“This is another significant step forward for this exciting project and we now look forward to working with our partners on the next phase.”

Inverclyde Leisure bosses have described the site as a 'great fit' for developing the game.

The local trust added that Inverclyde Council had shown their commitment to the project by identifying £627,754 for the funding of the centre.

Inverclyde Leisure went on to say that their demographic surveys and competitor analysis had made a strong case for the development of the centre, with around 80,000 people in the Inverclyde area and 151,000 within driving range.

They said: "The local tennis clubs struggle during the winter months to maintain their junior coaching programmes.

"An indoor centre would greatly enhance the development of tennis in the Inverclyde area."

The decision has been received well by local tennis clubs.

Ardgowan Tennis Club told the Tele they felt 'very positive' about the prospect of the indoor facilities being available to them during the winter.

They added: "This will be good for the club, as it will give us somewhere to play West of Scotland matches during the winter season and potentially the chance to enter another team.

"This is also welcome news as it will raise the profile of tennis in Inverclyde, especially among young people from the nearby schools who will be able to use the facility."