Preston is becoming one of the most interesting padel cities in northern England. Within a few months, it will have moved from a handful of operating venues to somewhere approaching a dozen courts across five separate facilities – several of them built on the bones of disused tennis infrastructure, warehouses, and commercial units that had outlived their original purpose.

The catalyst is a planning application from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Soul Padel for four courts at the Tom Benson Way sports arena in Cottam. But that announcement is part of a much larger picture unfolding across the city.

UCLan’s £600k plan: four courts, one tennis site

UCLan has submitted plans to build four padel courts at its Tom Benson Way sports arena in Cottam. Soul Padel, a specialist padel operator, is funding the £600,000 development and committing to a ten-year partnership. The courts will replace two existing tennis courts near the arena reception, and the design includes artificial grass, a canopy roof, and floodlights.

The facility will be open to students, staff, and the wider community – so this is a public resource, not just a campus amenity.

Jimmy Khan, UCLan’s Head of Sport and Active Wellbeing, said the university is committed to “supporting innovative, inclusive sport” and that the courts would help prepare competitive teams for when British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) formally adopts padel. That adoption is expected, and once it happens, universities without competitive facilities will find themselves behind from day one.

Subject to planning approval by Preston City Council, the courts could be operational in late 2026.

Where to play padel in Preston right now

Preston already has four or more operating venues. You can currently book at:

  • Game4Padel West View Leisure – Ribbleton Lane, Ribbleton
  • Just Padel – Corporation Street, city centre
  • Broughton & District Club – outdoor courts to the north of the city
  • Performance Padel Preston – Caxton Road, Fulwood (indoor, 4 courts in a converted 18,500 sq ft food distribution warehouse; planning ref 06/2025/0279)

Between these venues, Preston already has more court options than most mid-sized UK cities. But the pipeline makes it more interesting still.

Three more venues in the pipeline

Fishwick is the one that has already been approved. In March 2026, Preston City Council’s planning committee signed off on Padel Out Preston Ltd’s plans to convert two vacant warehouse units on Mercer Street, in the Fishwick Park commercial estate. One of those units previously housed GhostBikes; the other had sat empty for some time.

The result will be ten courts, a viewing area, gym and exercise space, a café, and nearly 50 parking spaces. Opening hours will run from 6am to midnight, seven days a week. That is the kind of scale that creates a proper padel hub rather than a bolt-on court or two.

UCLan is as described above – four courts at Tom Benson Way, subject to planning. Given the committee approved Fishwick with little discussion, it is reasonable to expect the UCLan application to follow a similar path.

Performance Padel Preston at Caxton Road (Fulwood) is the fourth indoor facility in the pipeline – four courts in a converted warehouse.

Why tennis courts keep becoming padel courts

The economics of the conversion make sense once you look at the numbers. Three padel courts fit in roughly the same footprint as one tennis court. Each padel court holds four players per booking, versus two for singles or four for doubles tennis. Padel sessions tend to run 90 minutes and players book in advance, which makes revenue predictable. Published retention figures put padel at around 92% – once someone plays, they keep playing.

For a tennis club running courts at 40–50% occupancy, the maths are hard to argue with. For a university looking to invest in facilities that will support inter-university competition, the calculus is even clearer.

The UCLan site at Tom Benson Way is a good illustration. Two tennis courts become four padel courts. The number of players per session at least doubles. The facility is open to the wider community, which means it generates income beyond term time. And with BUCS adoption on the horizon, the investment pays off in competitive as well as commercial terms.

The Glasgow Club Scotstoun followed similar logic in February 2026, converting two of its eight indoor tennis courts into three padel courts, with those courts scheduled to open in April.

The trend is not unique to any region. Across the UK, football clubs, leisure operators, and shopping centres are all arriving at the same conclusion: padel is a better use of underused space.

The university partnership model

Soul Padel has developed a specific model for working with universities. They fund and build the courts; the university provides the site and the footfall. Loughborough University was the first to run this way – two courts opened there in March 2025, and they have been running at 100% booking rates since.

UCLan is next. Mark Hewlett, Soul Padel’s founder and CEO, described the Preston site as personal: “I grew up just down the road, so bringing Soul Padel to the heart of Lancashire means the world to me.”

For the university, the benefits are practical: courts open to students and staff, community revenue during vacations, and competitive infrastructure ready for when BUCS adds padel to its official programme. For Soul Padel, it is a route to multiple sites without needing to acquire or lease commercial property.

The model works because the incentives are aligned. Universities need sport facilities that generate income and attract students. Soul Padel needs sites with built-in demand and institutional stability. A ten-year commitment is significant – it is not a pop-up.

What this means for Preston players

By late 2026, Preston could have somewhere between 22 and 26 padel courts across five venues – Fishwick (10), UCLan (4), Performance Padel Fulwood (4), Just Padel Corporation Street, and Game4Padel West View. That is enough critical mass for a functioning local circuit: different price points, different atmospheres, different booking windows.

For players looking for games and partners, more venues means more Americanos, more open-play sessions, and more people at every level. The Fishwick facility in particular – with its scale and extended hours – is the kind of venue that becomes a community hub. A 6am start time means it will suit players who are not just fitting padel around evenings and weekends.

Lancashire as a county is benefiting from the same infrastructure investment that is reshaping padel provision across the north of England. Preston is getting a critical mass of courts in a relatively short window. For players in the city, the timing is good.

Frequently asked questions

Is the UCLan padel open to the public?

Yes. The Tom Benson Way courts are intended for students, staff, and the wider community. Subject to planning approval, booking will be open to anyone.

When will the new Preston padel venues open?

The Fishwick facility (Mercer Street, 10 courts) has planning approval as of March 2026 – conversion works need to be completed before opening, likely later in 2026. The UCLan courts at Tom Benson Way are still subject to planning permission. Performance Padel Preston on Caxton Road is operational.

How much does padel cost in Preston?

Prices vary by venue. Game4Padel and Just Padel are typically in the £10–16 per person range for a session. The Fishwick facility has not yet published pricing. UCLan rates will likely be tiered for students, staff, and community members.