Floating padel venue lined up at Liverpool Waters
Plans will be submitted this week to the city council for courts and a clubhouse by Peel Waters and its team.
The developer is working with Ville Leisti, the Finnish founder and chief executive of Floating Padel Oy, Tytti Sirolam chief executive of Bluet Floating Solutions, Gareth Evans, managing director of Cheshire-based Padel Ventures, and Paul Danson founder of Imagineering Global.
Widely considered as the world’s fastest growing sport, padel has become a regular feature of planning dockets across the nation over the last couple of years. Typically played in doubles, it is a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash majoring on its accessibility.
There are currently more than 700 padel courts in the UK, however the nautical concept at Liverpool Waters will be the first floating facility in the UK should it progress.
The proposed facility will sit within Princes 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 archtect Imagineering Global in a Scandinavian style. A bar and kitchen have been included in the clubhouse designs.
The floating infrastructure under the clubhouse will be designed and built by Bluet Floating Solutions.
James Whittaker, Padel Ventures’ Gareth Evans, and Liza Marco and Chris Capers of Liverpool Waters. Credit: Peel
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.”
Evans 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.”
Floating Padel Oy is part of the team due its delivery of one of the world’s first ever floating padel court facilities in Espoo, Finland, part of its chief executive’s 20-year track record in floating construction projects.
Plans for the destination at Liverpool Waters will be submitted to Liverpool City Council this week, Peel said, with a decision expected this spring ahead of an anticipated opening date in late summer.
This could be the UK’s first floating padel venue. Credit: Peel
Great, but where is the investment to develop new quality jobs , pall mall just one example
By George
I like this, amazed there’s not more Padel setups being brought forward, trying to get a court currently at Aigburth CC is near impossible due to demand. Huge opportunity
By L17
Great stuff, what a setting it will provide.
By Anonymous
What’s the point??
By Jeff
A positive development at Princes Dock in addition to the already up and running floating sauna.
Just wish Peel could bring forward some other announcements like building apartments , hotels,or offices.
By Anonymous
Frustrating this. I wish Peel would focus on delivering the promised developments rather than short term attractions like floating saunas and paddle courts. Liverpool needs real progress—homes, offices, and infrastructure—not just publicity stunts to create an illusion of momentum. When will we see actual construction? Wish buildings were being built – maybe even have a paddle court in one of them… just a thought Peel.
By Sharon
What is paddle it looks like tennis I think I prefer the zip wire!!
By Mary Woolley
What next? Floating tennis? Floating football? Floating motor racing? You know it makes (no) sense…
By Anonymous
If Peel can get a planning application validated and a decision from Liverpool City Council by Spring then I will eat my padel bat. The reason the city only has 3 courts and is surely due to their inability to deal with any planning application.
By Mr Sheds
A great addition to an already amazing area.
By Stephen McShane
Very ugly things to look at from the outside
By Anonymous
I guess that any ‘ball people’ will be using kayaks rather than just running round on a hard surface as they do on a normal land based tennis court?
By Brendan R
@Sharon – Patagonia Place on site almost complete; new blocks by the Isle of Mann ferry terminal; Home and Bargains owner building at King Edwards site with Beetham; infrastructure for the new park at Central Docks going in; wonderful new flats around the Stanley Flight near Stanley Dock nearly complete; and Everton at Bramley Moore now complete! Plenty happening in the North Docks, more than ever since they were first built!
By Paul Blackburne
Very good a..pt.
By Andrew Carroll
As resident and long standing Chair of Waterloo Quay Tenants Association I think this is an excellent addition and attraction to our area of Liverpool Waters.
By Anthony O'Leary
Where are the cycle lanes connections to Leasowe and Nocturum via Birkenhead to Bootle Salt and Tar. Liverpool, Wirral and
Sefton Labour Councillors should express their usual sagcacity and demand cycle lanes immediately.
By Anonymous
@ Paul Blackburne , I think Sharon is referring to Peel actually building things, but many of the list that you mention are nothing to do with Peel eg Everton Stadium, proposed King Edward towers,Hartley Locks apartments.
Ok Patagonia Place(now Lighthaus),Lexington, and the Romal flats, were all negotiated with Peel but other people built them.
By Anonymous
Another example of Peel exploiting the dock waters for low return schemes
By Anonymous
Peel do not actually build nowadays – they sell plots and land to actual developers – so unless someone comes and buys a plot and builds it and they get their picture taken then nothing will get built.
By Julie Andrews