A Nottingham developer has unveiled a £4M plan to create what it claims will be the best padel court and social facility in the UK – complete with world class courts, coworking spaces and dining led by one of the city’s top hospitality talents.
Carlton-based ALB Group, which has been credited with breathing new life into Nottingham’s Bridlesmith Gate, has submitted a planning application for the 30,000 sqft venue to be called Swing, on Electric Avenue, next to its Riverleen House residential project.
If approved, work is expected to begin immediately, with the centre opening within just seven months of construction starting.
The project will feature eight indoor and three outdoor covered padel courts, a show court with arena-style seating, plus wellness and leisure facilities including a sauna, physiotherapy, sports massage rooms and a reformer pilates studio. It will also boast coworking spaces, an outdoor events area, a purpose built pickle court, and a range of unique eateries and bars, all concepts being brought to life by the creative force behind Public and Peter’s Pizza.
A spokesperson for Public, said: “This centre will be more than just first-class courts. We’re building a community founded on connection, conversation and energy. Yes, we want people to come and play, but also to stay to share a drink, work, network and make new connections.”
Arran Bailey, managing director at ALB Group, said: “We want to create the biggest and best padel court centre in the UK. I’ve been playing for two years now, and it’s changed my life. After visiting courts in New York, Miami and Dubai, I wanted to bring the best bits of all of them back home to Nottingham.
“We’ve got some crazy plans for this site and amazing food offerings, but at the heart of it all is community.”
The purpose built centre, designed by Nottingham based Leonard Design Architects, aims to rival top facilities around the world. Director John Morgan said the team had drawn on international case studies to develop what they hope will be “the best padel centre in Europe.”
He added: “In Spain, padel is second only to football and is seen as a multi-generational social activity. That’s the model we’ve followed to create a space for playing, socialising, working and dining all in one.”
The new venue will also make use of reformer pilates classes, pickleball. full time coaching staff on site and unrivalled facilities, making it the UK’s best padel centre.
Martin Sweeney, Padel Entrepreneur and President of United States Padel Association 2023 & 2024, said:
“I have been fortunate in being part of the incredible Padel growth in many parts of the world including the opening of the first padel courts in the middle east at the prestigious Emirates Golf Club and opening of the first Padel Club in the USA. Nottingham is my adopted home City so I am excited to see the introduction of this fantastic facility.
The investment and vision to construct such a venue will put Nottingham on the UK Padel map and I look forward to making new Padel friends and enjoying the camaraderie that this wonderful sport brings.
Arran added: “Our aim is to get both the younger and older generations into padel. We will be looking to make connections with local schools, hosting a wide range of tournaments.”
Padel is a hybrid of tennis and squash, and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK. According to the Lawn Tennis Association, more than 400,000 people played the game in 2024, compared to just 15,000 in 2019.
Arran added: “This project is absolutely huge in terms of both scale and ambition. To create something like this in my hometown is simply amazing. This is a building that’s been designed purely for Padel, so there are no compromises with it. We aren’t trying to make padel courts fit into a building, we are building a padel club from the ground up.
“This is a pure passion project that I am going to throw everything into, and I truly believe this is what the East Midlands padel community needs “
Posted on 02 February 2026
