Sir - The city council's leisure services department plans to lease Alexandra Tennis Courts to Wildwood Leisure because the courts 'are making a loss.'

Surely this statement is meaningless: Alexandra Courts are an affordable, and high quality, sports facility provided for the people of Oxford of all ages. It's one of the things we pay council tax for.

It might as well be said of anything the council provides that it 'makes a loss.' Why not lease off everything to private companies to charge what they want for the services provided? Instead of paying council tax we residents could all receive it, council employees would be made redundant and the councillors can all go home.

The Alexandra Tennis Courts are wonderful. To see the 16 grass and hard courts busy on a summer evening is a sight to make one proud of Oxford, and the sporting access provided by our city council.

To let this unique facility be turned into a private moneymaker would be a dereliction of the council's duty.

Tim Pears, Oxford