A South Cheshire retail park could soon be serving up padel tennis as its latest offering if Cheshire East Council gives the go-ahead, writes Belinda Ryan.
An application has been submitted for five padel courts and a clubhouse on vacant land at the Grand Junction Retail Park in Crewe.
A planning statement from Savills says: “The site, which covers an area of approximately 2,200sqm, was historically used as a bowling green prior to the demolition of the clubhouse in 2012, and has remained vacant and devoid of any productive use since that time.”
The land, to the rear of the Food Warehouse, is currently fenced off and there is no public access.
The planning document states: “The proposed development comprises the installation of five padel courts, each with a standalone canopy, along with a clubhouse with ancillary facilities, including toilets, reconfiguration of the car park and associated landscaping.”
It says the site has little visual or ecological importance and ‘the proposal will therefore provide a sports/leisure use, diversifying the offer of the wider site and improving its function and attraction’.
Each court will be a standard size for competitive play, measuring 20m long and 10m wide, and will feature blue artificial grass surfacing.
Weather-protective canopy structures are proposed around each of the padel courts, at a height of 6m to the underside of the canopy and 8m to the highest point.
The proposed clubhouse will be accommodated within a shipping container, measuring approximately 39sqm.
The interior will include a reception desk along with seating and tables for guests.
The toilet facilities will be in a separate container structure, adjacent to the clubhouse.
The planning statement says: “As part of the development proposal, the existing car park located to the north of the Food Warehouse unit will be reconfigured to provide 18 dedicated parking spaces for padel customers.
“To implement the proposed walkway, three existing disabled parking spaces will be removed.
“The future users will also be able to use the existing car park along with other users of the retail park.”
The application, number 26/1148/FUL, can be viewed on the planning portal on Cheshire East Council website.
The last date for comments is May 11.
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