Plans to transform an empty building into a new padel and pickeball venue at a Gateshead industrial estate remain up in the air after councillors failed to reach a decision.
Gateshead Council’s planning and development committee has deferred a decision on an application for a venue hosting the up and coming sports at the Team Valley Trading Estate.
The proposal, brought by RDG Leisure Ltd, has proven popular, amassing over 200 supportive comments on the council’s online planning portal.
The plans also received written endorsements from the deputy leader of the council Gary Haley, leader of the Lib Dem opposition coun Ron beadle, and the JJ O’Donnell Elite Football Academy.
However, council officers recommended the application be refused on the basis the applicant had not shown there is no “reasonable prospect” of future industrial use in the prospective unit. Refusal was also called for on the basis the applicant had not shown that such a proposal could be located elsewhere.
One of the directors of RDG Leisure and Gateshead resident, Richard Williamson said: “This is not just a business proposal, it’s a local family investing in the borough we call home.
“We are asking to bring a building that has been empty for 16 months back into use with more than £1m in private investment, creating more than 15 permanent local jobs, and a facility that will be used by more than a 1,000 people every week.
“Padel is the fastest growing participation sport in the UK and Gateshead currently has no facility of this scale. There is only a small three-court venue and it cannot meet demand or provide the all day year-round community use a centre of this size can deliver.”
Following deliberation, the committee agreed to defer a decision on the application to allow the applicant the opportunity to conduct further research to justify the location. The committee also agreed on a deferment to allow for more time to elapse to possibly justify the facility’s use in a mainly industrial setting.
