The rapid rise of padel in the UK is fuelling a wave of planning activity, with new figures showing a 113 per cent increase in court applications in 2024 alone.
The sport’s continued surge in popularity has unlocked nearly 17,000 potential development sites across the country, according to new data released by land and planning insight platform Searchland.
Padel — a fast-paced racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash — has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports. Figures from the Lawn Tennis Association show that the number of people playing the sport has jumped from just 89,000 in 2021 to more than 400,000 by the end of 2024. This unprecedented growth, coupled with relatively low setup costs and compact court dimensions, has made padel a prime opportunity for investors, developers, and local authorities.
Searchland’s data reveals that the number of padel-related planning applications has risen sharply in recent years. In 2021, only 53 applications were submitted. This increased to 82 in 2022, then nearly doubled to 163 in 2023, before jumping to 348 last year — a 113 per cent annual rise. Already in 2025, 295 applications have been submitted, and the company projects this will rise to 544 by the end of the year, marking a further 56 per cent year-on-year increase.
The platform has also identified a broad and largely untapped pipeline of sites that are well-suited for padel development. It estimates there are currently 16,851 “existing destination opportunities” — sports venues such as golf courses, racquet clubs, and football facilities that have unused land suitable for padel. These sites are typically located in or near urban areas where demand for leisure activities is high. London alone accounts for 1,086 of these opportunities, with 47 of them already having submitted planning applications. Other cities showing strong development potential include Bristol, with 206 sites, followed by Edinburgh, Leeds, and Manchester.
Beyond sports venues, Searchland has pinpointed 15,742 commercial properties across the UK that are appropriate for padel conversion. These include underutilised buildings or sites that can accommodate padel courts and are positioned in areas with a likely captive audience. London again tops this category, with 929 such sites, followed by Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bradford, and Sheffield.
In addition to permanent sites, Searchland has also identified 674 “short-term padel investment opportunities”. These are large-scale development areas — such as housing estates with long construction schedules — where padel courts could be temporarily installed to generate revenue before full development begins. In many cases, these courts could either be dismantled when required or retained as a feature of the final project. London is home to 151 of these short-term opportunities, while Bristol and Birmingham also offer potential.
Speaking on the findings, Hugh Gibbs, co-founder of Searchland, said the rise in padel’s popularity is more than a cultural moment — it’s a clear market signal.
“Padel’s extraordinary rise in popularity isn’t just a trend,” he said. “It’s a powerful signal to landowners, developers, and local authorities. The combination of surging participation, relatively low setup costs, and strong ROI potential makes padel an ideal addition to both temporary and permanent development plans.”
With almost 17,000 locations already identified as prime opportunities, the potential for growth is immense. As interest continues to grow and demand outpaces supply in many areas, padel is quickly becoming one of the UK’s most attractive sporting investments — offering developers a unique chance to meet the country’s appetite for active, community-driven spaces.
Jamie Young
Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.
When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.
