Old Actonians Latest Club to Plan Padel Courts
Wants to install new facilities on bowling green by Popes Lane
An example of a covered padel court. Picture: LTA
February 26, 2026
Old Actonians Sports Ground has submitted plans to install four covered padel courts on its long-disused bowling green.
If approved, it will mark the club’s most significant expansion of facilities in years and reflecting the rapid rise of padel across London. The application, prepared by WEA Planning, proposes four courts with lightweight canopies, new fencing and floodlighting on a 0.16-hectare section of the grounds backing onto Popes Lane. The club says the project will broaden its sporting offer, increase year-round participation and make better use of an area that has not functioned as a bowling green for several seasons.
Padel has grown rapidly across London in the past five years, driven by the Lawn Tennis Association’s national strategy to expand the sport and make racquet games more accessible. The LTA’s 2024–29 plan aims to increase annual participation from 129,000 to 400,000 players, with particular emphasis on women, juniors and people with disabilities. London has seen a surge in new courts at private clubs, leisure centres and community venues, with demand often outstripping supply.
The surrounding area has become a hotspot for new proposals. David Lloyd in Greenford secured permission in 2025 for both covered and uncovered padel courts, and a separate application for a tennis dome was approved later that year. Brentham Club has upgraded its courts, and Lammas Park Tennis Centre received consent for two padel courts in 2023. Beyond Ealing, clubs such as Wasps FC in Acton and Chiswick Rugby Club have also explored padel as a way to diversify income, attract new members and make better use of their grounds outside traditional match seasons.
Old Actonians has been part of local sporting life for more than a century, offering football, cricket, rugby, tennis, squash and table tennis across its extensive grounds. The site includes two club buildings, a rugby pitch with floodlights, a cricket square, a football pitch and two existing floodlit tennis courts. The bowling green earmarked for redevelopment has been unused for years and is currently maintained only informally by other sections of the club.
The grounds sit within Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), which carries the same level of protection as Green Belt. However, the Draft Ealing Local Plan proposes removing the MOL designation from the site and reclassifying it as Community Open Space, recognising its long-established sporting use. The draft plan also allocates the site for improved sports facilities, giving the club confidence that covered courts would be considered appropriate development.
This trend reflects a broader shift among multi-sport clubs, many of which are seeking new revenue streams and year-round activity to remain financially resilient. Padel’s compact footprint, fast-paced gameplay and suitability for covered structures make it an attractive option for clubs with limited indoor space.
The application argues that the courts would be “appropriate facilities” for outdoor sport under national planning policy, and that the lightweight canopies—constructed from translucent polyester cloth and green-coated steel—would preserve the openness of the site. The structures would sit between existing buildings, reducing their visual impact, and the design aims to blend with the surrounding landscape.
Pre-application advice from the council confirmed high demand for padel in this part of the borough and acknowledged that the bowling green is no longer viable in its current form.
The application reference is 260538FUL and comments must be received by 9 March.
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