Padel plans at Leeds golf club approved – set to “support the future of the club and the local economy”

Plans for the creation of new padel courts at a Leeds golf club designed to “support the future of the club and the local economy” have been given the go-ahead.Pure Padel Clubs Ltd, supported by NJL Consulting, submitted a full planning application to Leeds City Council earlier this year for development on a disused bowling green within the grounds of Moor Allerton Golf Club.The plans cover the creation of four padel courts, together with an outdoor seating and social area, and cycle parking.A proposed reception kiosk would contain a servery for basic vending machine goods, with a retail area offering padel-related equipment.A changing and toilet facility would also be provided.The courts are expected to create jobs, including a full-time head coach, part-time support coaches and a part-time site manager.A statement submitted as part of the application said the “positive benefits of additional sports provision in the community and the creation of a venue for sports competition will support the future of the club and the local economy”.The council has now granted approval for the development, subject to conditions, under delegated powers.A planning officer’s report accompanying the decision said: “The proposed scheme is considered to represent a Very Special Circumstances case in relation to Green Belt policies in that the local and district-wide benefits of the recreational facility and the other related benefits clearly outweigh the identified harm to the Green Belt by way of inappropriateness and impacts to openness.”Furthermore, the application is not considered to result in any unacceptable visual impacts to the wider area and is of an appropriate design and scale for its use and siting context.”Pure Padel, which was co-founded by Sammy Arora, opened its first padel club in Alderley Park in 2023. In June 2024, the club announced that it was set to open a new indoor venue in Manchester in late 2024, amid wide expansion plans.Padel is played on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court. A short, stringless racquet with holes and a low compression tennis balls are used, while the service is made underarm.