Todenham Barn, Cotswolds
- Client
- Padel X Club
- Location
- Cotswolds
- Project size
- Two indoor courts
- Status
- Approved and Operational
Todenham Barn sits within the Cotswolds National Landscape, a nationally protected landscape where new uses in the countryside are carefully controlled. The proposal, for Padel X Club, was to change the use of an existing agricultural barn to house two panoramic padel courts.
Converting a working farm building into an indoor sports venue raised a number of planning questions. The council needed to be satisfied that the barn was suitable for conversion, that the new use would respect the character of the building and its rural setting, and that a countryside location could be considered acceptable for a leisure use of this kind.
Padel Plan showed that reusing an existing building was the most sensitive way to bring padel to this part of the Cotswolds. Because the courts would be housed entirely within the barn, the scheme avoided the need for new built form in the open landscape and kept its visual impact to a minimum. We worked closely with the council to demonstrate that the conversion would sit comfortably within the National Landscape while giving the barn a viable new use.
We also made a strong case for the wider benefits of the scheme. Rural communities often have limited access to indoor sports facilities, and the new courts would give local people a year round opportunity to stay active, supporting both their physical and mental wellbeing. These benefits weighed firmly in favour of the proposal.
This scheme shows how existing rural buildings can be given a new lease of life through padel. At Padel Plan, we combine specialist knowledge of padel developments with a detailed understanding of planning policy to unlock opportunities in even the most protected landscapes.
