Liverpool is set to host the UK’s first floating padel courts, which will be complete with a Scandi-style clubhouse and social deck.
This week, plans will be submitted to Liverpool City Council for floating padel courts and clubhouse, which will see the city join an exclusive list of global floating padel hotspots, including Dubai, Miami and Helsinki.
To build the UK’s first padel courts on water, Peel Waters have partnered with a team of international experts. The waterside regeneration specialists will be working with Ville Leisti the Finnish founder and CEO of Floating Padel Oy, Tytti Sirola CEO of Bluet Floating Solutions Oy Ltd., Gareth Evans MD of Cheshire-based Padel Ventures and Paul Danson Founder of Imagineering Global.
There are currently over 700 padel courts in the UK, however, the nautical concept at Liverpool Waters will be the nation’s first floating padel facility, combining a world-class sporting facility with a stunning waterside location, making it a must-visit location for padel players.
The proposed facility will sit within Prince’s Dock at Liverpool Waters and will feature three floating padel courts. The courts will be built on a special floating Padel platform from Finland, with the courts themselves manufactured in Spain.
Players and spectators will be able to socialise in a new floating clubhouse which is also included within the plans. The clubhouse will be designed by the award-winning architects and designers ‘Imagineering Global LLP’ who specialise in large scale leisure design projects, themed leisure attractions, and retail entertainment solutions.
The natural, Scandinavian-influenced aesthetic of the floating clubhouse will complement the surroundings and neighbouring leisure facilities also based within Prince’s Dock, which includes Wyld Sauna, the UK’s first public floating sauna.
A bar and kitchen have also been included in the clubhouse designs, with a decked seating area offering views across the dock and providing the perfect social spot for post-Padel sunrise coffee or sunset beers to round off the day.
A small specialist retail store, selling all the essentials for the sport, including rackets, balls, clothing, and shoes will also be located within the clubhouse. The floating infrastructure under the clubhouse will be designed and built by Bluet Floating Solutions.
The floating padel courts at Liverpool Waters will serve as a landmark development for the sport and for the city, adding to the growing array of world-class attractions in Liverpool’s waterfront area.
James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters, said:
“We are really pleased to be bringing the UK’s first floating Padel courts to Liverpool Waters. This floating concept demonstrates the open approach we have at Peel Waters to welcoming innovative, new ideas and collaborating with forward-thinking businesses to use our portfolio as a testbed for unique, UK-first activations on water and the surrounding land.
“Padel is a fantastic, accessible activity and the social side of the sport is of upmost importance to us. We have thousands of residents, workers and visitors already on site at Liverpool Waters and we are constantly looking at new ways to connect-up the community and new activities for them to experience. This new facility will be an iconic, must-visit Padel destination both for Padel enthusiasts and general spectators encouraging more socialising, friendship forming and opportunities for the area.”
Gareth Evans, who has over 20 years’ experience in the leisure and health club industry, is part of the team who will be bringing the floating padel facility to Liverpool Waters. He said:
“Working with Peel Waters to offer what will be one of the most iconic Padel destinations in the world is so exciting for us.
“One of the reasons we love Padel so much is the social side of the sport, and so it’s not just about creating a new landmark leisure concept, it’s about creating something the community will enjoy and businesses will want to use. We want to make a space which gets people out socialising and encourages people to pick up a racquet and have a go. The design of the space will create an environment that celebrates the sport and the uniqueness of the location, whilst also providing a space to watch the world go by, grab a drink, relax in and enjoy being by the water.”
Ville Leisti, the Finnish founder and CEO of ‘Floating Padel Oy’, built one of the world’s first ever floating padel court facility in Espoo, Finland. Having worked in the floating construction sector for 20 years and been involved in multiple iconic floating marina and floating solution projects globally; Ville’s team together with Bluet Floating Solutions will be responsible for turning the vision for the floating padel destination into reality at Liverpool Waters.
Leisti added:
“There are a few floating Padel courts around the globe, however this development with all of the facilities and amenities we are planning to bring to Liverpool Waters will make it an international recognised Padel club destination.
“Building on land can have its challenges and space is limited, this concept at Liverpool Waters is a perfect example of how unused water areas can be utilised to bring innovative services and activities to places where they are needed.”
Planning for the floating padel destination at Liverpool Waters will be submitted to Liverpool City Council week commencing 10th February with a decision expected in spring 2025 with an anticipated opening date late summer 2025.
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