Edinburgh five-a-side football pitch to be transformed into three covered padel tennis courts
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Powerleague’s plans to turn one of its five-a-side football pitches at its Portobello site at 10 Westbank Street into three new padel tennis courts, with associated enclosure, canopy and lighting, were approved on December 30 by the council’s planning department.
The pitch to be replaced sits at the north-east corner of the football complex and is 0.1 hectares in size.
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Hide AdEach padel court will have a footprint of 10m x 20m and the courts will be spaced two metres apart. The proposed courts will almost entirely be contained within the footprint of the existing five a-side pitch, although a minor adjustment to the pitch side footpath and a slight reduction in the length of the neighbouring 7-a-side pitch is required.
In the planning documents, Powerleague said: “The proposed development does not result in the loss of sports pitch provision, rather it seeks to replace one type of sports pitch with another.
“The proposed redevelopment of one five-a-side football pitch to create three new padel courts facility in the Portobello neighbourhood will provide local access to one of the world’s fastest growing sports and allowing us to diversify their operations, as well as contributing to the health and wellbeing of the community.
“This will improve and diversify the provision of sport and recreation facilities on the site.”
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Much like the existing football pitches, the proposed padel courts will have a synthetic carpet surface, and they will be enclosed by clear glazed panels with mesh fencing and floodlights above.
The associated canopy, formed of six sub-canopies over each padel court, will stand separate to the padel court structures, with a maximum height of 8.55m and finished in a translucent opal fabric. The proposed canopy does not fully enclose each court but is designed to allow use of the courts all year round, and during all weather.
The online application received 27 notes of support and four objections. People supporting the plans said it will enhance the local area, improve health and well-being for locals, and the works will not have a negative visual impact on the surrounding area.
One of the submissions in favour said: “I would love there to be a padel court nearby our property. It's such a fast-growing sport and many many people are picking up a padel and playing. It's much more inclusive than football and would be great for the community. Please let this happen.”
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Hide AdWhile another said: “Some diversification in sports facilities is to be welcomed. The works would have no additional visual impact given the existing infrastructure on site. Great addition to the area.”
While objections included fears the larger padel tennis court fences will impact on daylight into nearby homes, and that the proposals may impact views from nearby homes.
One objector added: “I am a regular user of this facility as a football player. This would potentially take away our slot and I object to the change. There are ample facilities for this sport at Meadowbank.”


These new padel tennis courts are part of Powerleague’s £7 million UK-wide programme of planned investment in padel tennis. Powerleague offer a pay and play model, allowing anyone from the community to play via an online booking app.
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Hide AdApproving the plans, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The class 11 use of the application site has already been established and the proposal will not result in an increase or decrease of the existing amount of leisure space available, with several other football pitches retained on the site.
“There will be no loss of leisure space to accommodate the padel courts with the use of the site for sports having already been considered as acceptable.
“The courts and associated structures will be located within the existing boundary enclosure of the outside sports pitches and are of functional design to suit future sporting use. The proposals are of an acceptable scale, form and design and will be in keeping with the surrounding area.
“While the proposed roof is noted to be larger than the existing fences around the football pitches, the provision of the covering structure will be of a similar height in proportion to buildings nearby, and its curving dome form reduces its overall mass and visual impact on the area, supporting the use of the site for the padel courts.”
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Hide AdSpeaking more about neighbouring residents, he added: “The surrounding area is residential in nature but the court is situated at a sufficient distance from any neighbouring properties with the site largely screened from neighbouring properties by existing boundary treatments and trees.
“The enclosed structures will help contain noise from internal activity, whilst it is not anticipated that noise generated from this recreational use is likely to be unreasonable or materially different to existing sporting use in the grounds.
“The site is currently in use as a five-a-side football facility and the addition of a padel tennis court will not intensify the use in terms of noise or activity.”
The existing Powerleague facility at Portobello, opened in the 1990s, comprises six synthetic surface football pitches, with two seven-a-side pitches and four five-a-side pitches, together with associated enclosure boards, fencing and floodlights. The existing centre also benefits from a supporting pavilion building which provides changing facilities, event space and a café/bar.
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