Planned £4m Nottingham padel centre will be ‘best in UK’
The managing director of Nottingham developer ALB Group has described the firm’s plans to create a world class padel centre in the city as a “pure passion project”.
ALB has now submitted plans to the city council for the facility, set to be known as Swing, on Electric Avenue, which is set to include social and coworking spaces, and a range of bars and eateries.
If approved, the purpose built centre, designed by Nottingham based Leonard Design Architects, aims to rival top facilities around the world, including eight indoor and three outdoor covered padel courts, a show court with arena-style seating, plus wellness and leisure facilities including a sauna, physiotherapy, sports massage rooms and a reformer pilates studio.
Arran Bailey, managing director at ALB Group, said the firm wanted to create the biggest and best padel court centre in the UK, adding that he had “crazy plans” for the site, which is also set to include co-working and exclusive dining spaces.
“I’ve been playing for two years now, and it’s changed my life. After visiting courts in New York, Miami and Dubai, I wanted to bring the best bits of all of them back home to Nottingham,” he said.
“This project is absolutely huge in terms of both scale and ambition. To create something like this in my hometown is simply amazing. This is a building that’s been designed purely for Padel, so there are no compromises with it. We aren’t trying to make padel courts fit into a building, we are building a padel club from the ground up.
“This is a pure passion project that I am going to throw everything into, and I truly believe this is what the East Midlands padel community needs.”
Work on the scheme is understood to be ready to begin immediately after approval, with an ambitious seven-month construction target from decision to public opening.
ALB Group’s plans include coworking spaces, an outdoor events area, a purpose built pickle court, and a range of unique eateries and bars – a social offer which architect Leonard Design said had drawn from international case studies from the best operators across the continent.
The new venue will also make use of reformer pilates classes, pickleball. full time coaching staff on site and unrivalled facilities, making it the UK’s best padel centre.
Martin Sweeney, padel entrepreneur and president of United States Padel Association 2023 & 2024, added: “I have been fortunate in being part of the incredible Padel growth in many parts of the world including the opening of the first padel courts in the middle east at the prestigious Emirates Golf Club and opening of the first Padel Club in the USA. Nottingham is my adopted home City so I am excited to see the introduction of this fantastic facility.
“The investment and vision to construct such a venue will put Nottingham on the UK Padel map and I look forward to making new Padel friends and enjoying the camaraderie that this wonderful sport brings.”
