Padel courts planned at Garforth Garden Centre
A new padel project is moving closer in the eastern suburbs of Leeds. Leeds City Council is currently reviewing plans for a padel club on the grounds of Garforth Garden Centre on Selby Road. Behind the garden centre, four open, floodlit padel courts are set to be built, complemented by a picnic area for visitors and players.
Yorkshire Padel launches with Garforth
The scheme is the first project launched by Yorkshire Padel, a newly founded initiative from the West Yorkshire region. Co-founders are Leeds-based fitness trainer Charlie Hobson and construction specialist Ross Trutch. Together they combine sporting expertise with construction know-how, aiming to channel Britain's growing padel boom into suburban locations.
The full planning application was put on public consultation until Monday, 22 June. The project is therefore at a decisive stage: only after the public consultation closes and Leeds City Council completes its final review can a decision be made on building the facility. For interested players in Garforth, Leeds and the surrounding area, this is the moment when a concrete padel offering moves within reach.
Four courts in the green rear of the garden centre
Plans call for four uncovered padel courts with modern floodlighting. The courts are to be built at the rear of the existing garden centre and surrounded by trees, plants and targeted landscaping. The aim is a harmonious integration into the existing green setting so the sports facility fits visually and atmospherically with the character of Garforth Garden Centre.
Alongside the playing areas, a picnic zone is planned to make time before and after matches more enjoyable. The combination of sport, nature and relaxation sets the concept apart from classic indoor or industrial-site projects. Rather than isolated sports surfaces, the plan creates a publicly accessible leisure space deliberately embedded in an established visitor environment.
Synergy between garden centre and padel
Charlie Hobson told The Padel Paper that the garden centre and padel facility should work closely together. The project is intended to create synergy benefiting both sides. Players could head straight next door to a café in a natural setting after a match, while the garden centre gains additional daily footfall.
Padel is widely regarded as a highly social sport, and the Garforth initiators want to emphasise that aspect. The venue is meant to become a social hub where people meet for a game and then spend time together in a relaxed atmosphere. As Hobson put it, they want to create something that works for everyone and helps people connect.
Economic and health benefits
A design report highlights that the project could boost visitor numbers at the garden centre while promoting health and wellbeing in the region. Padel combines coordination challenges with moderate to high physical demand, making it suitable for a broad range of players from beginners to ambitious recreational athletes.
For Garforth Garden Centre, the possible expansion represents long-term diversification. While traditional garden centres depend heavily on seasonal trends and weather, year-round padel operations could generate more stable traffic. Especially in the evenings, when floodlights are in use, new usage periods emerge beyond conventional retail hours.
Technical details on lighting
LED lighting for the courts will be timer-controlled and directional to minimise light spill beyond the court perimeter. This issue is often decisive for acceptance of such projects in suburban residential areas. Through targeted alignment and limited operating hours, neighbours and the surrounding area should be affected as little as possible while players still enjoy safe, bright conditions.
The open design without a roof also shapes the planning. Uncovered courts are more cost-effective and faster to deliver, but require weather-resistant materials and thoughtful drainage. Combined with surrounding planting, the result is a sporting open space that does not look like a hard concrete slab.
Strong response in the region
Hobson reported overwhelming support from the local community. Yorkshire Padel is excited about the possibility of bringing padel to Garforth and adding another piece to Britain's expanding padel network. Leeds and the surrounding area still lack enough publicly accessible courts, so every new proposal attracts close attention.
If Leeds City Council approves the application, Garforth would become one of the city's first suburbs with a dedicated padel facility in an unusual but promising location. The mix of garden centre, café, picnic area and sports courts could serve as a model for similar projects across Yorkshire. Until the final decision, however, the scheme remains officially under review, with all details depending on assessment by the city's planning authorities.
For padel fans in Leeds, the planning process sends a clear signal: the sport is gaining ground not only in city centres but also in suburban areas with strong community ties. Whether balls will soon be flying over the glass at Garforth Garden Centre will be decided in the coming weeks at Leeds City Council's planning tables.
