Plans submitted for new padel court development in Thornton

Ace Padel has submitted a planning application to Sefton Council for new padel courts at the Playfootball Centre on Drummond Road in Thornton. The proposal includes four padel courts, one padbol court, and a single-storey clubhouse covering a 2,500 square metre area.

Details of the development

The courts would replace an existing storage building, which would be demolished. Two of the padel courts would be covered by a canopy, with one outdoor doubles and one outdoor singles court. The clubhouse would feature a reception area, changing rooms, a small café, a seating area, and a shop selling padel equipment and sports clothing.

Users of the padel courts would have access to the existing football club car park.

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What are padel and padbol?

Padel is a racquet sport combining elements of tennis and squash, typically played in doubles on a small court enclosed by glass and mesh walls. It uses the same scoring system as tennis, but the ball can be played off the walls.

Padbol, created in Argentina, mixes padel and squash with football. Played in pairs in an enclosed glass-walled court, players may use their head, feet, and chest to hit a ball over a net, but not their hands. Scoring follows a tennis-like system, with matches decided by the best of three sets.

Applicant's statement

The applicant stated: “The development will be a modest expansion of the existing sporting facility with added range of sport hence no negative impact on the existing users, within a new outdoor recreation space that will offer a new sport for people to engage in a new form of physical activity. Social interaction has a great impact on physical and mental health. We hope the council will see this development acceptable in principle at this location, that raises no transport, flood risk, biodiversity, visual amenity or neighbour amenity issues.”