Padel news: Inside the racket sport’s dizzying takeover of Britain, from urban centres to rural farms

From celebrity endorsements to new centres being announced weekly, padel is no longer the shy cousin of tennis but rather a genuine contender for the throne of racket sports.

It has firmly cemented itself in metropolitan areas thanks to a growing base of enthusiastic young players, with over 260 courts having now been manufactured in the UK by official court contractors Padel Tech.

This year, football court operator Powerleague announced plans to invest £14 million in padel courts across Manchester after the game had already been introduced to the city’s Nicholls facility in March at a cost of £1.3m.

And despite places like Madrid and Barcelona offering vibrant padel communities and boasting many of the world’s professional players, the game of padel has not ignored rural areas either.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Vanely Barumire reports on the sport’s continued expansion.

Local takeover 

Many local councils in Britain are planning to build padel courts in unoccupied buildings and areas, with Erewash Borough Council the latest to join in on the trend.

Situated in rural Derbyshire, the council is looking to build four padel courts close to an existing golf club and the proposal, submitted by Trent Lock Golf and Country Club, aims to add a retractable roof to shield players from the weather on two of the courts.

Local businesses are also looking to catch the upward trajectory of the sport while they still can as Bradshaw’s Farm near Wolverhampton has submitted proposals to redevelop the existing farm shop into a four-court padel centre.

Clearly, padel fever is just as contagious in rural England.

READ MORE: Premier Padel establishes two committees to strengthen governance and global expansion

Local pushback

However, there are many who are not fans of the sport’s recent expansion.

Residents near St Stephen’s Road in Canterbury have raised concerns about noise pollution and a proposed court obstructing sunlight if built in The King’s School Sports Centre.

An impact assessment found that, in the worst-case scenario, a single-hour period with four players on each of the three courts could cause a moderate noise increase and have a significant impact on the locals.

As a result, an acoustic barrier is being suggested to address the noise complaints.

Prices have also become a topic of conversation as the sport continues to grow.

Booking fees, in particular, have been criticised, with a one-hour session at Manchester’s Pure Padel court costing over £40.

So, while it is often marketed as more beginner-friendly due to its smaller court, doubles element, and relaxed rules, the sport of padel actually still has a long way to go in making the sport more accessible and appealing to a wider audience.

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