Following support from Wargrave Parish Council in December and from 85% of members at an Annual General Meeting last November, Wargrave Tennis Club has now submitted a formal planning application to Wokingham Borough Council for a second padel court and a clubhouse extension. This is to accommodate a membership that has increased by nearly 70% over the past four years.
If we get the green light from the Council and, subject to final membership approval, the second padel court should be up and running by the end of May, with work on the clubhouse extension starting in June or July.
More details and the rationale for the plans can be viewed in a design and access statement submitted to Wokingham Council’s planners, together with a 3D interactive model available on our website. Further details and costs will be shared with the Club’s membership as part of an EGM process that will be held in March.
Support for a Second Padel Court
We launched our first padel court at Wargrave last May, a move that has been hugely popular and a significant factor behind a 50% increase in our membership over the past 12 months. In our last AGM members survey, 85% said 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. The detailed proposals include a coordinated reconfiguration of the existing approved padel court, together with the installation of a second padel court as shown in the images above.
Support for the Clubhouse Extensions
Outline proposals for a larger Clubhouse received support from 63% of members at our Annual General Meeting last November, with plans that would provide more space for a membership that has grown by nearly 70% since the current clubhouse was built in 2008.
The latest plans shared with Wokingham Council (see images below)include a northern extension that will help support coaching and junior tennis, and a southern extension to provide more social space for the Club’s growing adult membership. The plans would also provide space for a changing room and better storage.
Unfortunately, earlier plans that included a members’ viewing balcony (above the southern extension) have not been progressed due to the high cost of this option and potential safeguarding issues for juniors. The proposals now submitted incorporate a single-storey pitched-roof structure that matches the current clubhouse. However, we are still exploring the right roofing options for the open decking area in the middle section (where table tennis is shown), including ideas for a retractable awning or even glass.
More Images of the Future Clubhouse
Drone and Model Images Highlight the Overall Changes
Model and drone images below highlight the significant investments and changes that the Club has made since 2022, with a total investment in court and clubhouse improvements that will have exceeded £340,000 by the end of 2026. The investment has been funded by the growth in the club’s membership that has risen by nearly 70%, from 305 in 2021 to a current membership of 515, including 182 juniors and 333 adults.
