Plans for North East padel tennis courts in Washington

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for unit two at Crowther Road in Crowther Industrial Estate.

Plans are seeking permission to change the use of the building from “storage” to an “indoor sports facility.”

Submitted planning documents confirm the proposed development is linked to padel tennis, a type of tennis played with specialist balls and rackets in a small enclosed court, where walls are part of the court and can be used in play.

In recent years, the sport has gained popularity nationally with dedicated plans for padel tennis facilities emerging across the North East, including at sites in Sunderland and South Tyneside.

Four padel courts are proposed at the Washington site along with associated changing facilities, toilets, showers and a reception , office, staff room and seating area.

A design and access statement submitted with the plans notes the development would include “minor changes to door arrangements,
cladding infill to the existing loading doors, and two new windows to the proposed staff room and office”.

It was noted that the building [unit two] was built as an extension to the existing Ronbar (electrical component manufacturer) premises in 2022, but the “adjoining industrial unit became available at almost the same time” which the manufacturer purchased as it “better suited their requirements”.

Those behind the padel courts scheme said that unit two has “remained surplus to requirements, and it has not been possible to establish an alternative industrial use for it”.

The design and access statement adds: “There is already a gym and a Jiu Jitsu school on the Crowther Industrial Estate, with other similar uses on the industrial estates nearby, so this change of use is considered to be appropriate and the precedent has already been set.

“There will be no change to existing parking and servicing arrangements from the existing car park.

“If anything, the padel courts greatly reduce the potential occupancy of the building, and there will no longer be a need for large vehicles to access the site for loading/unloading.

“For all of these reasons the proposed change of use is believed to be justifiable.”

The applicant for the padel tennis scheme is listed as Ronbar and a “sequential assessment report” submitted on behalf of Ronbar Ltd notes a number of alternative sites and units were considered for the padel facility but discounted for various reasons, including “size and height”.

The supporting document described padel as a “mix between tennis and squash [which] has become increasingly popular across the UK in recent years” and states the “fast paced nature of the game mean it provides an intense period of exercise and therefore has become an increasingly popular way of keeping fit whilst playing a social sport”.

Those behind the scheme said “this popularity has resulted in significant demand for new courts to accommodate the increasing number of people playing or wanting to play the sport across all areas of the country”.

It was argued that the proposed site at Washington would “support jobs and provide access to recreational facilities for residents of Washington whilst it is not being used for storage purposes by Ronbar”.

The sequential assessment report adds: “The minor internal changes to the unit to accommodate the use can be easily reversed at the point the unit is ready to be brought back into employment use in the future to meet Ronbar’s long term expansion needs.”

It was also noted that the padel development would improve “access to physical activity and socialisation, promoting healthy lifestyles for residents of Washington”, while “creating new jobs in the operation of the new padel club.”

A planning application for the site states a maximum of 12 full-time equivalent employees are proposed.

A decision on the planning application is expected following a council consultation exercise.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of January 21, 2026.

For more information on the plan, or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 25/02487/FUL

For the latest public notices from your area, please visit:https://publicnoticeportal.uk/ 

Caption: Plans submitted for new padel tennis facility at Crowther Industrial Estate, Washington Credit: Google