Bid to create UK’s first floating Padel courts and club house in former city dock

A proposal to develop the UK’s first floating Padel Tennis courts and club house in Liverpool will be submitted to the city council this week.

Peel Waters wants to create the new facility at its Liverpool Waters regeneration scheme and has partnered with a team of international experts including Ville Leisti, the Finnish founder and CEO of Floating Padel Oy, Tytti Sirola CEO of Bluet Floating Solutions Oy, Gareth Evans MD of Cheshire-based Padel Ventures, and Paul Danson founder of Imagineering Global.

Widely considered as the fastest growing sport in the world, Padel is a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash and is typically played in doubles, making it a highly social sport. With smaller courts and quicker games, the sport is accessible for all ages and skill levels, adding to its popularity.

There are currently More than 700 Padel courts in the UK, however, the nautical concept at Liverpool Waters will be the first floating Padel facility in the UK, combining a world-class sporting facility with a stunning waterside location.

The proposed facility will sit within Princes Dock at Liverpool Waters and will feature three floating Padel courts. The courts will be built on a special floating Padel platform from Finland, with the courts themselves manufactured in Spain.

Players and spectators will be able to socialise in a new floating clubhouse which is also included within the plans.

The clubhouse will be designed by award-winning architects and designers, ‘Imagineering Global’ which specialise in large scale leisure design projects, themed leisure attractions, and retail entertainment solutions.

L-R: James Whittaker, Gareth Evans and Liverpool Waters’ Liza Marco, Chris Capes

The natural, Scandinavian influenced aesthetic of the floating clubhouse will complement the surroundings and neighbouring leisure facilities also based within Princes Dock, which includes Wyld Sauna, the UK’s first public floating sauna.

A bar and kitchen have also been included in the clubhouse designs, with a decked seating area offering views across the dock and providing the perfect social spot for post-Padel sunrise coffee or sunset beers to round off the day.

A small specialist retail store, selling all the essentials for the sport, including rackets, balls, clothing, and shoes, will also be located within the clubhouse. The floating infrastructure under the clubhouse will be designed and built by Bluet Floating Solutions.

Peel says the floating Padel courts will serve as a landmark development for the sport and for the city, adding to the growing array of world-class attractions in Liverpool’s waterfront area.

James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters, said: “We are really pleased to be bringing the UK’s first floating Padel courts to Liverpool Waters.

“This floating concept demonstrates the open approach we have at Peel Waters to welcoming innovative, new ideas and collaborating with forward thinking businesses to use our portfolio as a testbed for unique, UK-first activations on water and the surrounding land.”

He added: “Padel is a fantastic, accessible activity and the social side of the sport is of utmost importance to us. We have thousands of residents, workers and visitors already on site at Liverpool Waters and we are constantly looking at new ways to connect-up the community and new activities for them to experience.

“This new facility will be an iconic, must-visit Padel destination both for Padel enthusiasts and general spectators, encouraging more socialising, friendship forming and opportunities for the area.”

Gareth Evans, who has more than 20 years of experience in the leisure and health club industry and is widely regarded as a leading figure in Padel, is part of the team who will be bringing the floating Padel facility to Liverpool Waters.

He said: “Working with Peel Waters to offer what will be one of the most iconic Padel destinations in the world is so exciting for us.

“One of the reasons we love Padel so much is the social side of the sport, and so it’s not just about creating a new landmark leisure concept, it’s about creating something the community will enjoy and businesses will want to use.”

Ville Leisti, the Finnish founder and CEO of ‘Floating Padel Oy’, built one of the world’s first ever floating padel court facility in Espoo, Finland. Having worked in the floating construction sector for 20 years and been involved in multiple iconic floating marina and floating solution projects globally, Ville’s team, together with Bluet Floating Solutions, will be responsible for turning the vision for the floating Padel destination into reality at Liverpool Waters.

Leisti said: “There are a few floating Padel courts around the globe, however, this development with all of the facilities and amenities we are planning to bring to Liverpool Waters will make it an internationally recognised Padel club destination.

“Building on land can have its challenges and space is limited, this concept at Liverpool Waters is a perfect example of how unused water areas can be utilised to bring innovative services and activities to places where they are needed.”

A decision on the planning application is expected this spring, with an anticipated opening date of late summer 2025.