Swansea Council has submitted plans for three padel courts on the site of the former tennis courts along Mumbles Road, following a multi-million pound upgrade of the Mumbles seafront.
The site has been unavailable while sea defence works were completed to help protect the area from coastal flooding. During that period, the council asked residents, businesses and local stakeholders what they would like to see on the site once it reopened.
Respondents supported the return of racquet sports, with many highlighting padel as the sport they would most like to see introduced in Mumbles. The plans include three purpose-built padel courts as the centrepiece of the new sports facility.
The scheme also features a new pedestrian link between Mumbles Road and the seafront, with additional landscaping that complements recent upgrades to the seafront. Car parking temporarily lost due to the redesign of the promenade would be reinstated as part of the redevelopment. The retention of previous car parking capacity was a commitment made before the works began.
Cllr Andrew Stevens, the council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said, “These plans demonstrate that we have listened carefully to what our communities want and we are delivering on that feedback. We are also delivering on our commitment to reinstate car parking spaces lost during construction, providing convenience for visitors and supporting local businesses’
“When we asked residents and local businesses what they would like to see on this site, the overwhelming response was for racquet sports to return, with strong support for padel courts.”
“Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK and is attracting people of all ages because it’s fun, social and easy to learn.”
“We’re delighted to be bringing these exciting facilities to Mumbles, creating new opportunities for people to get active while making the most of this prime seafront location.”
Padel combines tennis and squash. Courts are a third of the size of tennis courts and are surrounded by glass and mesh walls. Rackets are solid and do not feature strings. The sport was invented in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera.
In 2019, 15,000 people were playing padel in the UK. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) reported that around 860,000 adults and juniors played padel in the UK during 2025, more than doubling from the previous year.
