Cantelowes Gardens Padel tennis court proposal
Overview
We have been working on an exciting proposal to install a Padel tennis court at Cantelowes Gardens (NW5 2AU). Padel tennis is a fast growing sport in the UK with a real buzz around it. Currently there are very few Padel courts in North London with an ever increasing demand. To find out more about Padel please see details from the Lawn Tennis Association https://www.lta.org.uk/play/ways-to-play/padel/
Padel is played mainly as doubles, on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court. The serve is underhand, and the court walls are used as part of the game with the ball allowed to bounce off them. Specific padel bats, nets and balls are used. Advantages include:
- Easy to play, fun and sociable
- Enjoyable to both those that have played other racquet sports or complete beginners
- Accessible to all ages, genders, cultures and fitness levels
Over the last six months we’ve undertaken a feasibility study to identify a suitable location for a padel court in one of Camden’s parks. We believe the best location for this facility is at Cantelowes Gardens. It is an exciting prospect to be introducing a padel court into a public park, expanding and broadening our physical activity offer.
The court would be a charged facility (similar to our tennis courts in Waterlow Park, Kilburn Grange and Lincoln’s Inn Fields). Concessionary rates for disabled people, over 60s and under 16 years would be available and we will work with the local voluntary groups to ensure an inclusive offer is available to their users. The bookings income would support other valuable services and facilities in Camden.
We recognise the padel court would remove some of the sandpit, grass area, one tree and an ornamental hedge next to sports building and wood require relocating picnic benches. Therefore, we would propose to enhance the remaining area of the sandpit, plant a new native hedgerow, 2-3 replacement trees, expand and enhance the existing meadow area ecologically.
The existing and proposed location plans and illustrations are shown below.
Why your views matter
We hope that many people will be pleased to hear about the proposal for a Padel court at Cantelowes Gardens. However, we understand that this proposal is a significant change to the park. We welcome everyone’s views and would like to discuss any concerns and make any adjustments we can to help the court complement the park and local community.
In 2025, there will be some funding for Cantelowes Gardens via our Green Space Improvement Programme (GSIP) GSIP information to make repairs and improvements to the park and its features, so we’d like to hear about some initial ideas for this too. The GSIP project will also help us pick up any issues from the Padel court installation if it goes ahead.
Give us your views
Events
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Pop-up engagement session in Park
From 8 Dec 2024 at 14:00 to 8 Dec 2024 at 16:00Pop-up engagement session in Park, officers will be onsite to talk about the proposal, possible taster padel activity
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Pop up engagement session in Park
From 13 Dec 2024 at 14:00 to 13 Dec 2024 at 16:00Pop-up engagement session in Park, officers will be onsite to talk about the proposal, possible taster padel activity
Areas
- Cantelowes
Audiences
- Anyone from any background
Interests
- Leisure
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