Queensferry Sports Community Hub's plans to build new canopy covered padel tennis court approved

The community sports hub in South Queensferry now hopes that work can begin on this addition to their sports facilities in Spring next year, with it then expected to open to the public in early Summer 2025.

The hub at Ashburnham Road applied in June for permission to build the new facility on the site of a currently underused standalone five-a-side football pitch, with previous costs for the plans estimated to be around £200,000.

Stock photo of tennis star Andy Murray tries out fast-growing racket sport Padel with British number one Tia Norton at a Padel pop-up event in London. Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images for Game4Padel.

Now the plans have been approved, delighted Queensferry Sports Community Hub manager Allan Carson hopes to introduce the fastest growing sport in Europe as soon as possible.

He said: “It’s great news. We just need to get it out to tender now and see what the damage is. We had quotes a year ago so we now need to go through the process again.

“We need to get a project manager on board and get the plans out to tender.

“It’s looking like the build will start in Spring time next year. It should only take about three weeks to put together, so we hope to have it ready for early Summer.

“It will still need to be signed off by our board of trustees when we get the costs back.

“We are delighted these plans have been approved, and now we move onto the next stage of making the new paddle tennis court a reality here.”

Queensferry Sports and Community Hub manager, Allan Carson. Photo by Alistair Pryde. | Alistair Pryde

The non-profit organisation also provides a seven-a-side pitch, a full size pitch with three five-a-side pitches available across it, and three tennis courts. The hub hopes to build this new padel tennis court to capatalise on the growing tennis club at the South Queensferry sports centre.

The former council sports facility in South Queensferry was taken on by Queensferry Rugby Club in 2011 and has been run by the registered Queensferry Sports and Community Hub charity since 2013.

The plans lodged with the City of Edinburgh Council for a new covered padel tennis court in South Queensferry. | Council

Approving the plans, City of Edinburgh Council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposals comply with National Planning Framework 4 and Edinburgh Local Development Plan policies and have no adverse effect on the area of open space or the character of the surrounding area.

“The development has no detrimental impact on residential amenity or flood risk. There are no identified impacts on equalities or human rights and no material considerations that outweigh this conclusion.

“This determination does not carry with it any necessary consent or approval for the proposed development under other statutory enactments.”