A bid to turn an empty warehouse into padel courts is the latest of four plans across Stockton to offer facilities for the growing sport.
Total Padel Solutions has asked for planning permission to change the vacant warehouse at Preston Farm Industrial Estate in Stockton into an indoor padel court facility. It joins three other proposals for padel courts which have been submitted to Stockton Council in recent months, including one which has been approved for Bannatyne Fitness in Ingleby Barwick.
The Preston Farm scheme proposes to install six courts for padel, a racquet sport mixing tennis and squash, along with a café, office, reception, changing rooms, showers and toilets at Opus Park, Lockheed Close. There would be three full-size padel courts, one singles court and two children’s courts, all enclosed with strengthened glass walls and black metal-framed screens.
The developer says it would bring a 2,000sqm warehouse, previously occupied by a car parts supplier, back into use, create up to six full-time jobs, bring economic, environmental and social benefits and promote exercise and healthy living. The outside of the building, with 40 parking spaces, would not be changed.
“To make it viable the applicant needs to provide three to four full-size courts with additional facilities for singles and children to add to the attraction,” say Stovell & Millwater planning consultants in a statement to the council. “To provide the courts any unit requires a large open-plan floor area and ceiling heights of at least six metres.
“These types of spaces are not found within traditional town centre buildings. We consider the building to be a sustainable out-of-centre location within the limits to development that is well served by public transport and nearby to a number of residential areas.
“The proposed use is considered not to impact on existing businesses or prejudice the expansion of existing businesses within the estate. There would be no external alterations and as such we consider the proposed use would not result in any adverse impact on the visual character of the surrounding area.
“There are no residential properties within the immediate proximity and as the neighbouring units are industrial/commercial in nature, it is considered that the proposal would not result in a significant undue impact on the surrounding properties.
“It is envisaged the proposal could generate up to around 20-25 visits at any one time if all the courts are being used.
“We believe the proposal would constitute sustainable development. The facility would meet a local need and would provide health and wellbeing benefits for the community.
“We believe the benefits of such a use far outweigh the adverse impacts. This development will bring back into use a vacant unit and would bring a new business to the borough. This must be considered as positive for economic development.”
Two other separate plans for padel courts are being considered by Stockton Council, one for the same industrial estate. Soccer Sensations applied for consent for one covered padel court on land near Westland Way, Preston Farm Industrial Estate.
The five-a-side pitch rental business proposes to hire out the court, surfaced with artificial turf and housed in a mesh panel and glass walls, on an hourly basis.
The applicant says in a design and access statement: “It is submitted that the proposal is situated in a sustainable location and will not have an adverse affect on traffic, neighbours or surrounding properties. The proposal is closely related to the existing uses on the site and provides the applicant with an additional revenue stream and will help to support a long-established local company.”
The Padel Club put in plans last September for five padel courts and a club building including a warm-up area, reception, showers, seating and storage compound on land near Hanzard Drive, Wynyard Business Park. It proposes four courts in a steel building with a canopy roof, a fifth open-air court and a pergola and fire in an “area for customers to wait and relax”.
A planning statement from agent Lichfields says the scheme will bring jobs, provide recreational opportunities for residents and a “focal communal point within Wynyard Park”, promote active and healthy lifestyles, and help deliver “a sustainable new settlement within Stockton”. It concludes: “There are substantial public benefits associated with the development and these are wide-ranging and would benefit the local community and the wider borough.”
The Wynyard plan has attracted comments in support of “much-needed sports facilities”, saying residents were “highly optimistic about it”.
A plan to convert a games area into two padel courts with floodlighting and fencing at Bannatyne Fitness on Myton Road, Ingleby Barwick was recently approved with conditions by Stockton Council.
