The 97% month: UK padel planning in July
We track every padel planning application in the UK. Here is what happened last month, and what it says about how fast the market is really moving.
July at a glance
Councils approved more than were submitted
Sixty-one padel applications were approved across the UK in July, covering at least 153 courts. In the same month 42 new applications went in. Ten were withdrawn by their applicants.
Approvals outrunning submissions means councils cleared backlog last month rather than simply keeping pace. It is a sign of a pipeline moving quickly, and of planning departments that have got comfortable with what a padel application looks like.
Of the 63 applications that reached a decision in July, 61 were approved and 2 refused. That is an approval rate of 97%. If you have been assuming planning risk is what stands between the UK and more courts, the data does not support it. The constraint sits upstream: sites, capital, and operators ready to build.
The queue alone would grow the market by nearly half
There are 2,779 padel courts open across 832 UK venues today, with a further 179 courts at clubs already announced as coming soon. Behind all of that, 484 applications are undecided, representing at least 1,299 more courts. Approved at anything like July's rate, the queue on its own grows the national court count by 47%.
That is before the 1,361 applications already approved but not yet built, covering 2,871 courts, 634 of which were approved in the last twelve months. Applications take an average of 114 days from validation to decision, so most of what was lodged this summer will be settled before Christmas.
The Midlands led on approvals, London on ambition
| Region | Approved | Courts approved | New applications | Courts submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands | 13 | 24 | 8 | 20 |
| South East | 9 | 21 | 7 | 14 |
| London | 8 | 14 | 7 | 32 |
| East of England | 10 | 11 | 6 | 15 |
| North West | 4 | 14 | 4 | 9 |
| South West | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| Yorkshire | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Scotland | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
The Midlands approved more courts than anywhere else last month. UK padel started as a London story and it is not one any more.
But look at the last column. London submitted 32 courts of new applications in July, more than any other region and more than double what it had approved. The schemes going in there are bigger. London is not leading on volume any more, it is leading on ambition per application, and that will show up in approvals a few months from now.
Why we say "at least"
Councils do not publish court counts as a field. The number sits in the wording of each application, and roughly a third of applicants write "padel courts" without saying how many.
Where no number is given we count two. Those applications say "padel courts" in the plural, so two is the smallest figure that can possibly be true. We would rather understate than flatter the market.
Applications that do state a number average 2.66 courts. If July's 21 unstated approvals matched that, the month's real total would be nearer 165 courts rather than 153.
Which clubs are actually making money?
We track court availability at every bookable club in the country and estimate occupancy and revenue from it. These are real figures from last month. The names are the part you have to sign in for.
| Club | Courts | Peak occupancy | Est. revenue / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood Padel Club | 6 | 99% | £143k |
| Padel Social Club Earls Ct | 6 | 88% | £171k |
| Rocks Lane Chiswick | 12 | 86% | £234k |
| Ignite Padel Speke | 10 | 80% | £170k |
| Carbon Padel Club | 17 | 66% | £261k |
434 clubs tracked. See every name, occupancy and revenue estimate.
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Everything above is the national summary. Padel Genie gives you the rest: what is built, what is in the pipeline, and what is moving in your area. Whether you are planning your next site or deciding where to supply.
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- Every planning application in the country, mapped and updated daily
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- Occupancy and revenue estimates for every bookable club
- Coming-soon clubs and who is building them
We will be keeping tabs
This is the first of a monthly series. Every recap carries the same numbers so you can watch the trend rather than guess at it: what went in, what was approved, what was refused, and how the pipeline moved. Subscribe on the left and August's figures land the morning they publish.