Plans submitted for first Padel tennis courts in Portsmouth
Plans for Portsmouth’s first padel tennis courts have been submitted to the council.
For the first time, Portsmouth residents could be able to play padel in the city, a sport that has seen rapid growth in recent years.
Padel is a racket sport that mixes elements of tennis and squash. It is usually played in doubles on a smaller enclosed court where the walls are part of the game. Players use solid rackets and a tennis like ball, with the same scoring system as tennis.
The game focuses more on teamwork and strategy than power, making it easy to learn for beginners.
Padel is experiencing rapid growth in the UK, with the number of courts increasing from 68 in 2019 to more than 1,550 across 559 venues by the end of 2025.
Pompey Health and Fitness Centre off Copnor Road has submitted plans for two courts within the forecourt parking area to the west of the building.
The overall dimensions of the two courts are 27 wide and 10m long. The high “ends” of the courts are approximately 4.07m high, while the sides are 3.07m high.
The courts would be in use from 8am to 9.30pm, with floodlights operating during the winter months from 4pm to 9.30pm.
The plans would provide the first padel courts in Portsmouth, with the closest facilities currently located in Fareham, Hayling Island and Chichester.
For more information, or to comment of the plans, you can use the planning reference 25/01050/FUL and 26/00342/NMA.