Kettering Leisure Village padel court plan for world's fastest growing racket sport fans
Plans to transform a disused beach volleyball area into courts for the world's fastest growing racket sport have been submitted to North Northants Council.
Phoenix Leisure Management Ltd, that runs Kettering Leisure Village (KLV) is hoping to have their proposals approved for padel courts on the site vacated by Volleyball England.
The company is investing hundreds of thousands of pounds to build the covered court for padel – a cross between tennis and squash.
Ian Parkinson, director at Phoenix Leisure Management Ltd, said: “The application is in and we are forming Kettering Padel Club. It’s a really social sport and the covered court gives us an all-year-round opportunity. It’s going to be a great new facility for KLV.”
Existing sports facilities on site include numerous indoor courts for indoor football, futsal, badminton, short tennis and netball.
The padel courts are proposed in place of the existing outdoor volleyball courts that were installed after the London 2012 Olympic Games using sand that filled the Horse Guards Parade arena.
A single sport canopy will cover the courts set within the existing concrete base, providing shelter from the weather and allowing year-round use.
Played in doubles, it’s inclusive, welcoming to beginners and highly sociable, making it perfect for community participation, clubs and grassroots sport growth.
A spokesman for KLV said: “After reviewing usage and costs, we found that the beach courts were being used very little compared to other facilities. “Unfortunately, they are not financially sustainable to maintain in the long term.
"Over the past year we have reviewed how our outdoor sport spaces are being used, who they are benefiting, and how we can maximise community participation and wellbeing.
“The beach courts had very low usage and unfortunately were not financially viable to sustain long-term. Because of this, we have explored alternative opportunities that would allow us to provide a more inclusive, active and community-benefit focused facility.”
The aim is to have the courts completed and open by spring 2026, depending on weather and construction timelines – and the speed of the in crisis planning process.
Plans for the padel courts have been submitted to the planning authority North Northants Council, but have yet to be verified due to delays, meaning they cannot be seen by members of the public or be commented upon.
Currently there are padel courts in Corby, Grendon, Market Harborough and Northampton.
Plans for the sand will be announced later.