The owners of a tennis club have hit back at claims that their courts are not open to the local community.

Ken Collins, chair of West Norwood Tennis Club, said the club had consistently tried to recruit new members, adding “We have never been anti-social in any way”.

Members recently held an open day for local people to explore the club’s facilities and play on the courts for free. The owners usually charge a one-off £5 fee for non-members and have not offered new memberships since 2007.

Mr Collins said: “We are locally minded. We run on a shoestring. But this has never been a great area for support.”

The owners insist they have advertised the courts to the local community, but have received little response. One club member wrote to six local junior schools asking them if they wanted to hire the courts for a small fee, but none of them took up the offer.

The owners are currently trying to sell off the land to a private company for a housing development, which would include 58 flats and a new tennis club. They argue the development will provide better sporting facilities for people living locally.

About 130 local people wrote to councillors opposing a renewed application to build on the site in December 2010. The application was later turned down by the council. Previous applications have failed because officers felt it was inappropriate to build on the open space. The most recent application failed on July 26.

The club’s secretary, John Herbert, said: “We want to see new facilities. We will still have a club here when it is all finished.”

When asked what his message was to the local community, Mr Herbert said: “When the new club is up and running, come and join.”

A decision on the development is due in the next few weeks.