Plans for a new padel and racket-sports centre in Spalding have been resubmitted after an earlier proposal was refused, with badminton now added to the facilities being considered.
The application by Raquet Space concerns a site on Bourne Road. The previous scheme was rejected earlier this year after South Holland District Council planners said the location was “poorly connected” and outside development limits. Officers also raised the possibility of a conflict with the future bypass.
The consortium of business owners and community supporters behind the project has now returned with an amended proposal, saying the changes address the reasons given for the refusal.
What the revised Raquet Space plans include
The main building would contain three padel courts and a combined badminton and pickleball court, together with a reception area, shop, café and welfare facilities.
Outside, the plans include eight more racket-sports courts. Four would be covered and four would be open-air. A small cabin is also proposed for Pilates sessions.
The application document says informal discussions with South Holland District Council helped shape the resubmission. It states that the revised proposal addresses the concerns behind the earlier decision.
“Following the refusal of planning permission, informal discussions have been undertaken with South Holland District Council which have helped to shape this resubmission, and this revised proposal addresses the reasons for refusal,”
The project team says the route for the relief road has now been decided and that the proposed centre would not affect it. The site is next to a large area allocated for housing, while a new school is also planned nearby.
Why the applicants say Spalding needs the centre
The planning statement presents the proposal as a recreation hub for residents of Spalding and South Holland, arguing that the sports would provide opportunities for young people and adults and support wider health and social benefits.
It says padel is gaining national attention as the UK’s fastest-growing sport. According to figures cited in the document, about 860,000 adults and juniors played padel at least once in the year before the end of 2025. That figure had doubled since 2024, compared with 15,000 players in 2019.
The number of padel courts had risen to about 1,490, while at least one million people were estimated to play regularly. The document also says pickleball clubs in the East Midlands grew by 94.4 per cent during 2025, with 10,000 new members joining in the preceding year.
Badminton, which has been played in England since the 1800s, is also described as having grown in popularity, with more than one million people playing regularly each month.
The applicants say recent investment in Spalding’s Castle Sports complex has not created dedicated indoor or covered outdoor facilities for padel or pickleball in South Holland.
“Together, both sports share core strengths; they are inclusive, social, provide a hub within a community, easy to learn and are excellent for physical and mental wellbeing.”
The proposed centre would be fully accessible for older and disabled participants. The plans also include partnerships with schools and social events.
Planning constraints and next steps
The proposed building would need to be 8 metres high and have an undivided floor area of 1,360 square metres. The planning report says this is why suitable land, or existing land and buildings, could not be found within the settlement boundaries.
The report says the application site is within walking distance of a sizeable residential population that is continuing to grow. The indoor element has been reduced to four courts to limit the overall scale of the building.
The resubmission will now be considered through the planning process. The source material does not state when South Holland District Council will make a decision.
A separate proposal to convert barns at Bridge Farm, submitted by Gramaro Properties, was also refused by South Holland District Council in the spring.