Powerleague in Peterborough set to convert two football pitches into padel courts

Powerleague, located on Whittlesey Road in Stanground, currently has six five-a-side pitches and two seven-a-side football pitches.

The area next to the pitches which was previously home to tennis courts has been taken over by Padel Peterborough, who currently have five courts on the site.

Plans are for two of the pitches which border Stanground Academy site (a 0.3 hectare area) to become padel courts.

In its application, Powerleague stated that booking data from the last 12 months indicated a reduction in its bookings for the five-a-side pitches and that reducing the number from six to four would ‘result in a utilisation to 76% during peak periods.’ Peak periods are defined as 7-10pm Monday to Friday.

Powerleague stated that all peak bookings can be accommodated within the four existing 5-a-side AGPs. With 60 hours available per week, a 76% utilisation rate equates to 46 hours of bookings, leaving 14 hours still unbooked at peak times.

Two of the pitches have, therefore, been deemed surplus to requirements.

The application states: “The outdoor pitches can be used to facilitate padel use to growing demand in this locality and to enhance and diversify the proposed provision of sports facilities on this site, through the provision of four new state of the art Padel tennis courts.

"The provision of padel tennis will provide enhanced opportunities for sports on this site and to a wider audience in this locality.

"According to Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association, there is significant unmet demand for padel tennis in the city.

"LTA data shows a strong local catchment, with 241,000 residents within a 20-minute drive and an estimated padel demand of 39,000.

“On average, the LTA notes, 20% of the population would be interested in playing padel if there were more local and relevant opportunities available to them.

"Across our estate of 27 courts in 7 locations, Powerleague welcomed more than 32,000 unique players in the past year alone - demonstrating strong and growing community engagement with our facilities.”

The application claims that the new courts at Powerleague would generate a social value of £3m.

It adds: “This represents a substantial boost to the local community and surrounding areas, delivering benefits that go beyond financial investment. By providing accessible and enjoyable opportunities for physical activity, promoting social interaction, reducing loneliness, and supporting local employment and supply chains, the proposal will have a lasting positive impact on wellbeing, community cohesion, and the local economy."

The application can be viewed on Peterborough City Council’s planning portal using reference 26/002249/FUL.