Former police station site to become padel courts

"A padel club's plan to install four outdoor courts on empty land that used to be occupied by Eltham police station has been approved by Greenwich Council. The racquet sport, which blends elements of tennis and squash, is becoming increasingly popular, but players have said there are not enough courts to keep up with demand. According to planning documents, padel is the fastest-growing racquet sport in the world, with the Lawn Tennis Association calling it "easy to play, fun and extremely sociable"."

"Greenwich Council has also received an application to build facilities for pickleball, another racquet sport that is growing in popularity. Getty Images ClubPickle wants to build an indoor pickleball facility and clubhouse by the Greenwich Peninsula Golf Range. According to ClubPickle, more than 50 million people play the sport globally and it is the most accessible racquet sport in the world. Although pickleball and padel are similar, key differences include that padel is played in a bigger, enclosed court while pickleball is played on a smaller, open one. They are also played with different types of racquets and balls."

Greenwich Council granted temporary planning permission for a London Padel Club to build four floodlit outdoor padel courts and associated facilities on the former Eltham police station site. The approved plans include a bar/lounge with seating, toilets and changing facilities, office space, storage, outdoor seating and parking for cars and bikes. Permission is temporary for five years, allowing operation until 2030. Padel is described as the fastest-growing racquet sport globally, blending tennis and squash and praised by the Lawn Tennis Association as "easy to play, fun and extremely sociable." Separately, ClubPickle has applied to build 12 indoor pickleball courts, a clubhouse, cafe and showers by the Greenwich Peninsula Golf Range, citing more than 50 million global players. Padel uses a larger enclosed court while pickleball uses a smaller open court, and both use different racquets and balls.

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