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Four new padel courts planned in Ilkley as the sport grows

Monday, 1 June 2026 09:14

By Chris Young, Local Democracy Reporter

Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club [ILTSC] plans to add four new padel courts to expand its offering of the growing sport.

ILTSC is one of a wave of planning applications for padel courts in Bradford have recently been put forward, it is claimed almost 50 new courts are needed to meet demand across the district.

Padel, a racquet sport that mixes tennis and squash, is often referred to as the fastest growing sport in the world. Although it has been around for decades, it has seen a surge in popularity in recent years.

A recent Bradford Council meeting was told the district has a shortfall of 47 courts to meet demand.

A number of units across Bradford have recently been converted into padel courts, including a space in Wardley House on Little Horton Lane in the city centre.

There are currently five live planning applications to change the use of buildings in the District to create new padel facilities.

The popularity of the sport was highlighted at a recent planning meeting of Bradford Council, where members were discussing an application for padel facilities at Woodlands Cricket Club.

At the meeting Stephen Drake, speaking on behalf of the club, told Councillors that padel was the fastest growing sport in the UK, and that there was a huge demand for facilities locally.

The panel was told the application had received a letter of support from the Lawn Tennis Association, which said there was a need for more padel courts in Bradford.

He said:

“There is a need for between 41 and 47 padel courts required in Bradford in terms of players per square metre.”

A number of applications have been approved in recent weeks, those awaiting a decision include Ilkley Lawn Tennis And Squash Club, along with applications at Half Moon Farm in Harden; expand an exisiting padel centre in Bradford at Beckside Mills and an application to convert warehouse units at Castlefields Industrial Estate in Bingley into leisure use includes two double padel courts and a single court.

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