Plan to convert Wellingborough sports club tennis courts into padel facility
An application has been submitted to convert three tennis courts at the Old Grammarians Sports Club into a dedicated padel facility, bringing yet more local provision for the budding sport.
The existing tennis courts at the club will be replaced with six new padel courts, with a bar and seating area also included in the proposal submitted to the council on August 4.
The tennis courts are part of the existing sports club in Sywell Road, Wellingborough, however should plans be approved, they will be replaced by five doubles padel courts, and one smaller court designed for singles play.
A planning document states: “The existing ground is a concrete base which is being replaced with a smaller permeable paved area with a marquee. There will be no material alteration in terms of size for the development proposed or any of the landscape affected by the works.”
The concrete tennis courts will make way for a steel framed canopy, constructed to form sheltered padel courts which would be covered by a roof made of white PVC.
An adjoining bar area is also included in the plans, converting a nearby shipping container and also providing outdoor seating within the space.
Padel is an activity that has risen significantly in popularity over the last few years, with the Lawn Tennis Association noting over 860,000 people play the budding sport on an annual basis.
Like tennis, Padel is played on a court with a net separating the opposing players, but is played within a smaller area, usually in doubles, and the ball can bounce off the walls surrounding the court.
For many, it represents a more accessible sport than tennis, with more and more dedicated facilities becoming available locally.
The full application can be found online here, or by searching with the reference 26/02187/FUL on the North Northants Council planning portal.