Revised plans for new padel courts to be installed at a Lancaster leisure centre have been put to the city council.

Applicant Soul Padel Ltd is asking for full planning permission for the construction of three outdoor padel courts with rain canopies, boundary fencing and an associated clubhouse facility at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre.

The application follows the withdrawal of a previous application for four padel courts on the site.

The reduction to three courts allows the majority of the existing trees on the site to be retained.

Players and coaches at Soul Padel venues.

placeholder image — Players and coaches at Soul Padel venues.

The original application proposed four covered padel courts with an associated clubhouse on the site and was withdrawn prior to determination.

In relation to that proposal, the council’s Environmental Protection team advised that a Noise Impact Assessment would be required to demonstrate that the development would not result in unacceptable harm to residential amenity, and the layout required the removal of a number of trees within and around the site.

The current application has been prepared to address these matters. The scheme has been reduced to three courts, allowing the majority of the trees on the site to be retained, and is supported by a Noise Impact Assessment prepared by Spratt and Hamer which responds to the matters raised by Environmental Protection, together with a Flood Risk Assessment and an Arboricultural Impact Assessment.

The land subject to this application is currently occupied by a mini-golf course forming part of the leisure centre’s outdoor facilities.

An aerial photo of Salt Ayre Leisure Centre with the planned location of the padel courts highlighted in red.

The main leisure centre building is located to the east, with a children’s play area and balance bike track located between the site and the building, and a further children’s play area to the south.

The three courts would be arranged in a single row, to allow the majority of the existing trees on the site to be retained, and are proposed to operate between 7am and 11pm Monday to Sunday.

Padel is an increasingly popular racket sport that blends elements of tennis and squash, typically played in doubles on an enclosed court measuring 10 metres wide by 20 metres long, which is slightly smaller than a doubles tennis court.

The court is surrounded by a combination of glass and mesh walls, which keep the ball in play and allow for rebound shots, which is one of the defining features that make the game dynamic and strategic.

The court is divided by a low net and surfaced with artificial turf over porous concrete or similar drainage layer.

Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK, having originated in Mexico and being widely played in Spain and other parts of Europe. Its rapid rise in popularity in the UK is driven by its social, inclusive nature and its accessibility to people of all ages and abilities.

Soul Padel Ltd is a Manchester-based operator specialising in the development and long-term management of padel facilities.

Councillors will make a decision on the plans at a future planning committee meeting.