Protecting Preston Lawn Tennis Club with Bespoke Ball Stop Netting

The Challenge

Preston Lawn Tennis Club, based at the foot of Preston Park in Brighton, faced a serious safety issue. Cricket balls from the adjacent ground, over ten metres higher, were regularly landing on the tennis courts. Alongside this, the club was dealing with antisocial behaviour, with bottles and litter being thrown onto the playing area.
Two fencing companies had already turned down the project, stating that the combination of height, gradient, and complexity made it unfeasible.

Our Solution

Where others saw an impossible brief, Knight Fencing saw an opportunity to innovate. After carrying out a detailed site assessment, we designed a 4-metre-high polypropylene nylon ball stop netting system.

• Bespoke Design: Custom-fabricated posts tailored to the historic structure, which dates back to 1877.
• Safety and Protection: The netting provided maximum safety without obstructing airflow or visibility.
• Respect for Heritage: Careful planning to work sensitively with the aged structure while ensuring long-term durability.

Overcoming the Challenges

This was not a standard installation. The location presented two key challenges:
Restricted Access: Standard machinery could not be used. Every component had to be carried and positioned by hand.

• Elevated Site: A local scaffolding company was brought in to erect a safe working platform on uneven ground.

Our four skilled operatives combined technical expertise with physical effort to complete the installation safely and efficiently.

Community and Environmental Impact

Preston Park is a much-loved public space. We designed the system to blend discreetly into the surroundings while offering maximum protection. The project was completed with zero waste, as every material was manufactured to specification or fully reusable.

The new fencing not only improved safety but also helped foster a more respectful environment for tennis players and visitors.

Client Feedback

“Finally someone mentioned Knight Fencing, who are relatively local to us in Chichester. As soon as we met Danny, it seemed that the ‘impossible’ job might in fact be achievable… Communications were prompt and efficient, and we felt confident we were in good hands. When it came to delivering the project, Danny and his team were friendly, switched on, and rose admirably to the couple of unforeseen issues that came up. I’d recommend them highly to any sports venue looking for a high-quality, bespoke fencing system.”
— Preston Lawn Tennis Club

Outcome

The project was warmly welcomed by the club and Brighton & Hove City Council, who praised both the design and execution. Following this success, the council expressed interest in extending the system further around Preston Park, again with Knight Fencing leading the design.

Take a look at some of our images from the project!