New sports dome approved for growing racquet sport

The new padel court dome will be built next to Leatherhead leisure centre

Surrey could soon play host to international padel competitions after plans were approved for a new centre for the growing racquet sport.

Mole Valley District Council has given permission for six courts to be built under an 11m (36ft) high dome next to Leatherhead leisure centre.

The courts will be used by players of the Mexican racquet sport, which is part tennis, part squash and usually played in doubles.

The Lawn Tennis Association said the courts would be used at both national and international levels.

Outreach programs

Padel is said to be the world's fastest-growing sport, with courts popping up everywhere and big money flowing into the game.

Other sport stars like Virgil van Dijk and Andy Murray have invested in it, and there's hope it could become an Olympic event by 2032.

Mole Valley councillors say the project will bring benefits which outweigh the harm that the dome will have on the green belt it is to be built on.

Developers said they would run regular padel lessons and set up outreach programs with local schools to “encourage involvement with the facility”.

“This proposal is one of the best ones in terms of sporting facilities that will be provided," said councillor Raj Haque.

The padel dome would be built among trees to shield it from view, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The proposal includes parking spaces for 23 vehicles.