Andy Murray backs Judy Murray’s tennis centre bid

Andy Murray with his mother Judy. Picture: Ian Rutherford

The Park of Keir development, in which golfer Colin Montgomerie is also a partner, would have a dozen tennis courts, a six-hole golf course, and 19 luxury homes.

The project, which includes an Andy Murray museum, has attracted controversy over plans to build on 105 hectares of land designated as green belt by Stirling council, and plans have been scaled back before.

Councillors are set to vote on whether to give it the go-ahead at a meeting today(TUES) and Andy, 28, took to Twitter where he has 3.38 million followers, to voice his support for mum Judy.

He wrote: “Hoping the Park of Keir development gets the green light. Massive opportunity for the community, for sport and for the next generation.”

Andy’s comments were given the thumbs-up by dozens of other Twitter users but some criticised the comments - prompting Judy to intervene.

Anna Verden-Anderson said: “Just a way in for housing developers. All about money and not about what community values here.”

Judy said: “If you read the plan, you will see this is not the case. 19 houses needed to fund sports facilities, cycle path + country park.”

Martin Gray wrote: “Fingers crossed, the plans look fantastic and a facility like that would help so many people.”

Fraser McCallum added: “One reason we only have winners every 80 years is because we don’t provide correct facilities. Hope it gets approved.”

Last week Jamie Murray and Sir Alex Ferguson weighed in after council officials recommended councillors reject the project.

Jamie said: “Our whole family is really excited at the huge potential there is at Park of Keir.”

Football legend Sir Alex wrote to Stirling Council urging them to reconsider their official recommendation that the development should be refused.

In a letter to Stirling Council’s provost, Councillor Mike Robbins, former Manchester United and Aberdeen manager Ferguson said he hopes the council makes “the right decision”

He said: “I was immensely proud to be there when Andy Murray won Wimbledon.

“Judy Murray has not only helped achieve that great victory, she has set out an amazing vision for facilities that will help young people be active and love tennis with all of the passion that she does.

“It’s always a struggle to achieve success in sport, but I strongly believe in that these proposals will make a huge difference to generations of young people here in their home town of Dunblane and across Scotland.”

A report by the council’s planning department says that the proposals would breach rules on green belt development, the scale of the development was too large and the housing element was not sufficiently mixed.

It also states that 1019 people and organisations have submitted objections to the development, with only 45 in support.

Critics include Maureen Carroll, who heads the board of Dunblane Sports Club, where Andy Murray first played. She said that most residents did not want houses on fields at Park of Keir.

A Stirling Council spokeswoman said the conclusions of its planning officials were “reached on balance following a thorough analysis by planning officers of all aspects of the case.”