Wargrave Parish Council have recently approved our outline plans to install a second padel court at Wargrave in 2026 (without losing another tennis court), as well as an extension of the current clubhouse to better meet the needs of our growing membership, including junior tennis and coaching.
For next steps, we will look to submit a formal planning application to Wokingham Borough Council in January, with approval by the end of March. If we get the “Green Light”, this should give us time to have the second padel court installed by the end of May, with work starting on the clubhouse extension in June or July.
In addition, although the outline plans shown below received combined approval from 85% of our members in our recent AGM voting (with only 7% of members opposed), we will seek more formal membership approval this coming February via an online EGM vote once more detailed costs are established.
Keep scrolling down to view images of the latest plans, or click the following link to review an interactive 3D layout of what the Club will look like once the work is complete.
Support for a Second Padel Court
We launched our first padel court at Wargrave in May this year, and the move has been hugely popular and a significant factor in the 43% increase in our membership over the past 12 months. From the AGM survey, nearly 50% of our members are now playing padel at the Club, 79% say they are pleased we introduced padel at Wargrave, and 85% say that “padel has added value to the Club”.
The rationale for a second court is to support the increasing popularity of the game by providing extra capacity for social or coaching sessions for beginners, as well as encouraging juniors to play. In terms of the specific plans shown below, 85% of members voted in favour of either the second padel court or the clubhouse, and with 59% voting specifically in favour of the second padel court.
To bring these plans to life, the Parish Council have recently approved our request based on further information from our AGM members’ survey.
Support for a Larger Clubhouse
The second proposal for a larger Clubhouse received support from 63% of members, with plans that would provide great space for a membership that has grown by nearly 200 since the current clubhouse was built. The proposals shared with members included a northern extension for adult socialising and a southern extension with more space to support the growth in junior tennis. The plans would also provide more space for the changing rooms, with storage space being relocated to the new coaching area.
Details of the AGM Survey and Voting
The online AGM survey lasted for three weeks, during which 168 members voted on a range of motions, including the two future investment proposals that, subject to approval of plans by Wokingham Borough Council, could be implemented within the next 12 months. In terms of “turnout”, the total voting represents 53% of our adult members, and parents make up approximately 30% of the junior membership. Click on the following link to see the full results of the AGM online survey.
