Vacant workshop to become padel club in Poulton, West Lancs

The application, submitted by Tyler Butterworth, seeks to change the use of Unit 6 Beacon Road on the Poulton Industrial Estate from a joinery workshop to a pre-booked padel club with a refreshments counter.

The decision was signed off on March 17, 2026.

The building, which has a footprint of 1,200 square metres, will be fitted with three double padel courts and one singles court, accommodating a maximum of 14 players at any one time.

All sessions will be strictly pre-booked (Image: Google)

A small refreshments counter will serve players but will not be open to the general public. All sessions will be strictly pre-booked through the Playtomic app, with no drop-in visitors permitted.

The club will open between 6am and 11pm, seven days a week.

A two-year empty building

The unit has stood empty since its previous occupant, a joinery firm, vacated the premises.

Commercial agents Duxburys Commercial, based in Blackpool, marketed the property continuously since November 2023, sending out more than 2,472 sets of details to prospective tenants and conducting 10 viewings.

Despite interest from manufacturers, wholesalers and storage operators, not a single offer was made.

Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK (Image: Archant)

The agents noted "a marked lack of confidence in the industrial sector" and concluded that Poulton Padel was "the only credible interest on the table at this time."

Parking row that twice threatened the scheme

The application is a resubmission after an earlier proposal was refused, partly on highways grounds.

Under Wyre's Local Plan parking standards, the unit would normally require 55 spaces, the applicant is providing only 17, creating a shortfall of 38.

To address concerns, the applicant commissioned an independent transport assessment and introduced a 30-minute changeover buffer between all booked sessions, ensuring the car park clears before the next group arrives.

Lancashire County Council Highways officer Janet Lawson-Marsden confirmed in January 2026 that the authority had no objections, satisfied the development would not have "a significant impact on highway safety, capacity or amenity."

More 160 letters of support for the plan were sent (Image: Google)

Planners acknowledged the shortfall "could result in some additional on-street parking" but concluded it was "not likely to result in any significant parking issues."

More than 160 letters of support

The application attracted more than 160 letters of support, an unusually high response for an industrial planning application in Wyre.

Supporters described padel as "a rapidly growing and accessible sport for everyone" and argued the facility would improve health and wellbeing, create a social hub and benefit nearby businesses.

Wyre Borough Council had itself launched a "Bring Padel to Poulton" initiative, and its community engagement manager had met with the applicant and expressed support for the scheme. Fewer than five objections were received.

How planners assessed it

Officers initially questioned whether a padel club, classified as a main town centre use, should be located on an industrial estate.

However, they accepted the applicant's argument that padel courts require large, uninterrupted floor space, substantial ceiling height and acoustic separation from other uses, characteristics that cannot realistically be found in town centre units.

Planners also concluded that the two-year vacancy and absence of industrial interest meant approving the scheme would not harm employment land supply in the borough.

Permission was granted subject to conditions including restricted hours of 6am–11pm, use as a padel club only, cycle parking to be installed before opening, and an electric vehicle charging scheme to be agreed before occupation.