Padel boom reaches South Shields as floodlit court plans unveiled for Westoe sports club site

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has received an application for South Shields Tennis Club, also known as Westoe Lawn Tennis Club, off Dean Road.

A planning application from Padel Project UK Ltd is seeking permission for “five illuminated padel courts” for padel tennis, a type of tennis played with specialist balls and rackets in a small enclosed court, where walls are part of the court and can be used in play.

The application is seeking permission for the courts including “playing cages, secondary 2m high mesh security fence” and an “ancillary cabin structure”.

The cabin aims to provide reception, storage, changing and welfare facilities for both the users of the padel courts and the scheme’s caretaker, planning documents state.

Details of the proposed development are set out in a design document submitted to council planning officials.

The document notes the scheme aims to “provide an additional offering within the tennis club to benefit the members and the wider community”.

Those behind the scheme said the padel tennis courts would be installed on “hard courts not utilized to the north of the site” where caravans are currently based, and that padel tennis would be offered to children and adults.

It was noted that adults would be able to attend “day and evening classes and social sessions Monday-Sunday”, while children would be offered “after-school classes, holiday camps and access via schools”.

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Applicants said that “padel is a doubles game, which is fun, easy and family-oriented” and that padel “is the first easy step into tennis” with the development aiming to create a “community family sports destination”.

It was noted that the development would also “be offered on a no membership policy – so sports open to all, on a pay and play basis”.

The design document adds: “The plan is to work with the local council sports dept and the rugby club to target specific groups in need of access to sports [including] girls aged 14-18, disability groups and those targeted by the council.

“The number of padel tennis courts in South Shields is limited, despite the sport’s popularity currently growing in the UK.

“Installing five padel courts would increase sports participation and community involvement.

“It would also enable the operator to run social events, social play, coaching and tournaments.”

Planning documents note the proposed padel tennis facility would be open for play seven days a week (including Bank Holidays) within the hours of 8am – 10pm.

It was noted that access would be based on a “pay and play model, open to the public, with no membership” and that a “smartcard holder system” would be in operation “enabling early booking rights and discounts on court fees”.

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The design document adds: “While the proposal will have very limited impact on the parking and driving conditions within the area, ample parking is available at the tennis club.

“There is easy cycle access and players will be encouraged towalk or cycle [and] bicycle storage will be provided on site.

“The site is located within a two-minute walk from the bus stopwhich is located on Dean Road [and] the code-controlled gate access system will be installed to manage access to the padel courts.

“The lights on the padel courts will be switched on in blocks oftwo from the clubhouse building and automatically go off no laterthan the time permitted by planning.”

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Applicants also confirmed the proposal “is to take half of the former tennis court site [occupied by caravans] and [would] convert to padel with the remainder of the site continuing to be used for caravan parking”.

It was noted that “proposed floodlighting will be designed and installed to prevent any light-spill out towards the residential units to the north of the site on the other side of the existing tree line”.

Elsewhere, the applicant referenced a noise report and said “there should be no additional negative noise impact from the proposed courts and no additional acoustic screening will be required.”

A decision on the plan is expected to be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Comments can be made on the plan, via South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website, until May 27, 2025.

For more information on the plan, or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference number: 250305