If you’ve searched “padel Croydon” hoping to find a court to book tonight, the honest answer is: there isn’t one yet. Croydon is one of London’s biggest town centres without a dedicated padel venue, though that’s changing fast – a nine-court club is under construction next to East Croydon station, and a separate town-centre site has planning permission. Until either opens, your nearest games are a short trip out to Purley, Beckenham, or Coulsdon.

Why doesn’t Croydon have a padel court yet?

No dedicated padel venue operates in Croydon yet, despite planning permission already granted for two separate developments in the borough.

It’s an odd gap for a town centre this size – Croydon has excellent transport links, a young professional population, and boroughs on every side (Bromley, Sutton, even Kingston further out) already building out padel courts. The likely explanation is space and cost: padel needs a purpose-built enclosed court, and central Croydon’s land is expensive and largely built up. Both projects now underway are solving that by using disused or redeveloped sites rather than squeezing courts into existing leisure centres.

What’s coming to Croydon

Rocket Padel East Croydon is the venue to watch. It’s set for 1–5 Addiscombe Road, right by East Croydon station, on a plot that sat empty for nine years after Royal Mail’s delivery office there was demolished in 2022. Croydon Council granted planning permission for nine indoor courts – which would make it one of the larger padel clubs in south London on opening day – along with changing rooms, a café and bar, retail space, and a food-hall concept alongside the courts. The permission runs for ten years, which the operator has framed as time to prove the concept before any bigger redevelopment of the site is considered.

It’s been a long road to get here: the plans took over two and a half years to clear planning, with the project repeatedly described locally as delayed. Construction is now scheduled to start in October 2026, with a roughly nine-month build, putting a realistic opening in mid-to-late 2027 rather than anywhere close to this year. Rocket Padel’s own site still lists the venue as “coming soon,” so treat any earlier date you see elsewhere as optimistic – this has already slipped once.

A second scheme has planning permission for padel courts in Croydon town centre itself, separate from the East Croydon station project. Detail on operator, court count, and timeline is thin at the time of writing – it’s an approved development rather than a venue with a launch date, so there’s nothing concrete yet to book or plan around.

Both projects have planning approval behind them rather than being speculative announcements, but neither will help you play this month. Bookmark this guide – we’ll update it the moment either opens.

Where to play near Croydon right now

Three venues within a short drive or train ride cover the gap while Croydon’s own courts are built.

Purley Sports Club has three outdoor courts and is the closest open venue to central Croydon, around three miles south. It’s a members’ multisport club rather than a pure padel operator, but non-members can book pay-and-play at £15 per person per hour peak and £12.50 off-peak, with racket hire from £2.50 if you don’t have your own. Members pay considerably less – from £3.50 off-peak up to £4.50 peak per person – so it’s worth checking membership rates if you think you’ll play regularly. New players who want to join in on competitive social matches are asked to complete a short “starter package” assessment session (around £20), which rates your level before you’re slotted into games. Courts book through Playtomic.

Address: The Ridge, Purley, Surrey CR8 3PF Booking: Playtomic app

David Lloyd Purley, a separate venue nearby, has three outdoor padel courts included as part of Platinum membership. This one’s membership-only rather than pay-and-play, so it’s a fit if you already belong to David Lloyd or are weighing up joining, not a casual drop-in option.

Booking: David Lloyd Clubs app (members only)

Slightly further out, two more venues are in the same pre-opening position as Croydon’s own projects, which is worth knowing so you don’t turn up expecting an open court:

  • Pure Padel Coulsdon – six indoor courts, a 10-minute walk from Coulsdon South station, with construction underway from April 2026 and a mid-summer 2026 opening target. It’s a converted warehouse rather than a new build, which is part of why the timeline is faster than Rocket Padel’s – no demolition or full groundworks needed. Expect a café and licensed bar, a pro shop, and a co-working lounge alongside the courts once it’s live. By the time you read this it may well be open – check Playtomic or the operator’s site before planning around it.
  • Padel Xtra Beckenham – four covered courts, aiming for a late summer/early autumn 2026 opening, bookable through the Padel Mates app once live. The operator ran a founding-member scheme ahead of launch, offering the first 100 sign-ups discounted long-term rates – a common pattern for new UK padel venues worth watching for if you want to lock in a lower price before a club opens to the general public.

Getting to Purley or Beckenham without a car

Purley and Beckenham are both easy rail journeys from Croydon if you don’t want to drive.

Purley is one stop from East Croydon on Southern and Thameslink services, a journey of around five minutes, with Purley Sports Club a short walk or bus ride from the station. Beckenham is a bit further – around 20 minutes from East Croydon via Elmers End or Beckenham Junction depending on your route – but still realistic for a one-off game rather than a weekly commitment. If you’re relying on public transport, build in extra time either side of your booking rather than cutting it fine.

What to expect once Croydon’s own courts open

When Rocket Padel East Croydon or the town-centre scheme eventually open, expect the same booking conventions as most new-build UK padel venues: online booking through an app (Playtomic is the most common, though not universal – see our guide to booking a padel court in the UK for what to expect across different platforms), pay-and-play alongside optional membership, and racket hire for anyone who doesn’t own one yet. Nine courts at Rocket Padel would be a large opening for a first venue in a town with no existing padel culture to build on, so expect a founding-member push and early-access pricing in the run-up, similar to how Padel Xtra has approached Beckenham.

If you’re coming to padel from tennis and wondering what changes, padel for tennis players covers the practical differences before you book your first session at any of the venues above.

The bottom line for Croydon players

For now, Purley is your best bet for an open, bookable court close to Croydon, with Beckenham and Coulsdon likely to open within the next few months and Croydon’s own courts a longer wait behind them. If you’re weighing up which to try first, pay-and-play at Purley is the lowest-commitment option – no membership, no founding-member deposit, just a Playtomic booking and a racket if you need one. Coulsdon and Beckenham are worth watching if you’d rather lock in an early rate at a venue that will eventually be right on your doorstep once Croydon’s own scene develops around them. Check back on this guide as each venue opens – we’ll fold in real pricing, opening hours, and booking detail as soon as there’s something to book.

See how Croydon compares with the rest of the region in the full directory of UK padel court guides.