What is Padel?
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK right now.
If you are reading this right now, chances are you know one or two things about it already. For those who aren’t as familiar, Padel is a kind of hybrid racket sport that incorporates elements of tennis and squash.
Padel is usually played in doubles on an enclosed court, and as the popularity of the game continues to grow, demand for courts in the UK, both public and private, is increasing.
According to ltapadel.org.uk, by the end of 2025, around 860,000 adults and juniors had played padel at least once that year.
Padel court planning permission is one of the hottest planning permission topics at the moment, and in 2025, planning applications had increased by 113% compared to the previous year, according to padelnation.co.uk
Getting the Right Building to Convert
Vacant industrial spaces are good candidates to house padel courts. They offer plenty of height and space that the courts require, and the indoor factor means potential year-round revenue for private operators.
To obtain the padel court planning permission for an existing industrial building, depending on the circumstances, you may require a sequential assessment aderation of loss of industrial space.
While that may sound complex, it is essentially a planning application that allows for the change of use of an existing industrial unit.
The content of a sequential assessment contains information about:
- The current use of the site
- Site dimensions and constraints
- Benefits to the community arising from the change of use
- Considered alternative sites and their details
The noise factor
A key consideration taken into account by local authorities when considering padel court planning permission will be the noise that is generated from the proposed new padel facility.
Disturbance to nearby homes is a real concern, and noise can occur from multiple sources, including:
- The noise of simply playing padel. Racket thuds and the sounds of the ball hitting the wall.
- Noise from car parks needs to be considered.
- If a PA system were to be installed, that could also be a noise consideration.
That list is not exhaustive, but all of those factors would need to be considered and potentially assessed as part of the planning application.
A Noise Management Plan (NMP) can be assembled to clarify your strategies for reducing noise from a padel court.
Padel Court parking
Car parking will also need to meet the required local standards. Padel is a popular sport and is experiencing ever-growing participation numbers, so there will be a need to provide evidence that sufficient parking will be provided.
Care should also be taken to ensure that the needs of disabled users are catered for with regard to parking and access to the facility.
Padel Court Planning Permission
In a nutshell, converting an existing industrial space into a padel court is more than achievable with the correct planning permission approach and associated documents.
If this is a planning scenario you require assistance with, please contact us, and we will use our depth of planning knowledge and experience to help you achieve a positive outcome for your project.
Michelle Hill MRTPI
As a leading planning consultant I can help with the topics covered in this post. Contact me and I can find you a solution to your planning problem.
