Surrey building that has been empty since 2022 set to become dedicated sports centre
Surrey is set for its own dedicated pickleball and padel tennis centre after changes to a 125-year lease on a vacant building were agreed.
Waverley Borough Council signed off on the deal that will allow a building, which has sat empty since 2022, to be reused as a dedicated sports centre.
The original 125-year lease on the industrial building in Farnham has 93 years to run and will be split in two.
The details of the contract are still private, but it is expected to generate more than £200,000 for the council.
The council said the building has been independently valued and the tenant will pay a premium for the site while all associated costs and ongoing rents were agreed at market levels.
Councillor Mark Merryweather, portfolio holder for finance, assets and property, said: “The proposal is for that existing lease to be replaced by two separate leases to enable a significant investment into the site, which is currently vacant, for the permission of lease facility such as pickleball and padel tennis courts for the community.”
The land already has planning permission after The Pickleball Hopp Limited And Rainier Developments were granted the right to convert the building into 10 pickleball courts and four padel tennis courts.
Pickleball is a racket sport for either two or four players that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis and is played on a badminton sized court.
Padel tennis is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court a third of the size of a tennis court.
The council, which owns the building, said it will allow for further investment in the borough and create employment.
“There is currently only one purpose-built pickleball venue in the UK, three courts located in Telford.
“There is a very limited number of pickleball and padel courts in Farnham and across Surrey and therefore the purpose built facility proposed at the site will help to meet a… deficiency and better meet local demand for these fast growing sports”, said papers present to the August 5 executive committee.