A new indoor padel club has opened in Gloucester in the former Toys R Us building. The £1m venue at Gloucester Quays Retail Park has nine courts as well as a restaurant and bar.
It is understood that 15 jobs have been created as a result of the club’s opening.
Padel is a racket sport that combines elements of tennis, squash, and badminton, and is played in an enclosed space about a third of the size of a typical court.
Hannah Thomas, general manager at the Gloucester club, said the reason padel had taken off in the UK was because of its accessibility and because it brought “a real sense of community”.
“Gloucester is a great place to expand the presence of padel in the South West, given its sporting background, and Gloucester Quays Retail Park has provided us with the best possible site to reach the broadest demographic of people we can,” she said.
“If you haven’t tried padel yet, come along and see how addictive and enjoyable it is. If you are a padel enthusiast, we cannot wait to see you on the court.”
Mark Whittaker, managing director of Peel Retail & Leisure, which manages Gloucester Quays, added: “The popularity of padel has risen exponentially, and no doubt there will be plenty of people that live in, work in, or visit Gloucester that love the sport.
“Operators like The Padel Club will have had lots of options in the region for opening a new venue, so we wanted to make sure this is something we could bring to the city before anyone else.”
It is the second time Peel has worked with the Padel Club, with an 11-court venue due to launch within Trafford City later this year.