Sowerby Bridge: Padel court gets green light in heritage building
Increasingly popular, the racquet sport Padel will soon be coming to Sowerby Bridge.
Calderdale Council planners have given permission to internally alter and change the use of a Grade II-listed Sowerby Bridge building, and granted change of use, so it can house a padel court.
Padel is a racquet sport originating in Mexico, combining elements of tennis and squash and is becoming more and more popular in Europe, including in West Yorkshire and Calderdale – recently an application for four courts at an industrial unit elsewhere in the borough was approved – all reflecting growing demand.
Chris Hasling had applied to the council seeking permission to make the changes at Bolton Brow Gallery at Bolton Brow in the town.
The building was formerly former Bolton Brow Sunday School, designed by C. F. L. Horsfall and built in 1882–83.
Considering the application, planners said the proposal sought to convert the existing lower ground floor hall of the property into an indoor padel court.
No alterations are proposed to the building’s external appearance and minimal interventions proposed to the interior, mainly removing circa 1990s internal partitions and a mezzanine in the main chapel hall of the chapel to enable the addition of a free-standing padel court with attached lighting to the inside of the glazed court structure.
In addition a toilet is being relocated from the modern partitions to the south east corner of the hall.
Planning condition imposed through a prior but recent listed building consetnn application have been transferred over to this full application.
Mr Hasling has previously said installing a padel court will provide a viable, income-generating use to support ongoing maintenance of the building.
It will ensure continued public engagement with the heritage asset and prevent deterioration by securing long-term occupation – aligning with Historic England’s emphasis on active reuse as central to conservation, he argued.
The conservation-led approach would remove the “intrusive” 1995 mezzanine, would reveal original hall volume and roof design, preserve all historic features and would introduce no changes which were irreversible, he said.
Planners agreed the plans were acceptable subject to come conditions, and granted approval.