Shrewsbury private school launches plan for padel courts
Plans to build three padel courts within the grounds of Shrewsbury School have been revealed.
Leaders at Shrewsbury School have asked the local authority for permission to build three padel courts to the rear of the cricket centre.
It's one of a number of padel court proposals that have been going through the planning process in recent months, with increased demand for one of the fastest-growing racquet sports in the UK.
Described as a cross between tennis and squash, padel has grown in popularity in recent years, with Shropshire's first dedicated padel club at the Lion Quays Resort & Spa near Gobowen opening earlier this year.
Three padel courts are also planned as part of the refurbishment of The Shrewsbury Club and there are plans to build three more courts at a sports club in Telford.
If Shropshire Council gives the Shrewsbury School plans the green light, three 20m by 10m enclosed courts would be built behind Severn Hill House off Porthill Road.
Plans submitted by BCHN Architects on behalf of the school say the courts would add to the "existing wide-ranging sports provision" at the independent school, and provide "further sporting opportunities for the pupils both as formal games and informal recreational activity".
During a pre-application consultation, Shropshire Council's leisure team asked if the courts would be made available for public hire.
In response, the school said community use would "present a problem" for the school, as it is a private site and a boarding school.
A spokesperson for the school added: "The children who attend the school regard the site as their home, and the school have a safeguarding duty to maintain it as such and to keep the whole site fully open for the children to use as they require.
"The new padel courts will be used by pupils for both structured activities in the evenings and weekends, and also for informal recreational use.
"Any other use of the school’s facilities in term time will compromise both the safeguarding requirements the school adheres to, and the feel of the children’s homely environment."
But the school conceded that outside of term time the school facilities were occassionally offered to clubs and groups via a "community tariff" - but could not commit to specific uses or times.
The full planning application is available to view online on Shropshire Council's planning portal, using reference number 25/02917/FUL.
