Former England cricketer James Taylor is part of a team planning a new padel leisure complex in Nottingham.
Former Test and ODI batsman Taylor, whose career was curtailed by a heart condition and later became an England selector, has partnered with two hospitality experts on a premium padel venue next to a Showcase cinema on Redfield Way in the city.
The centre will be the first in the UK for Padelplex, a new padel community launched by Nottingham hotelier Richard Johal and founder of 200 Degrees Rob Darby, alongside Taylor.
The leisure complex has been designed by Leonard Architects and in a deal brokered by Box Property.
Johal, who has managed a number of hotels including the St James Hotel in Nottingham, said: “We are so excited to have submitted our plans for the very first Padelplex centre in the UK – which of course had to be in Nottingham as all of our founders are from here and we’re so proud of our city’s sporting energy and accolades.
“Padel is rapidly rising in popularity and against this backdrop we saw an opportunity to develop a high-quality, premium offering with an eye on the ‘added extras’ of a top quality venue, but at the same price point to play.
“The small things like a consistently friendly welcome, clean and bright and well maintained facilities will be consistently excellent at Padelplex, combined with the essentials such as plentiful free parking and easy access to great restaurants and other activities in the area such as the cinema and bowling.
“As keen padel players ourselves, we know exactly what our customers – be it students or grandparents and everyone in between – will expect when they visit us for a game.”
“Rapidly expanding playing field…”
The development would comprise five covered outdoor padel courts alongside a hospitality pavilion featuring a reception area, snack bar, indoor seating, changing facilities and is expected to cost more than £1m.
It should create up to eight jobs initially. Co-founder Darby added: “Having entered a very busy marketplace with 200 Degrees and growing then exiting the business, I’ve learnt a lot about how to thrive on a rapidly expanding playing field.
“The key was to figure out where our padel offering fits and we were all set on the vision of a customer-first experience where people feel welcomed and come back time and again to have fun, enjoy this simple and accessible sport with friends and family and escape the busy world for an hour or so in a space that feels like a community.”
Former Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire player Taylor will be an ambassador for the business, encouraging people to try padel and experience the fun of the sport for themselves.
Taylor said: “I’ve been looking for a new project for a while now, to channel my passion for fitness and sport within my own local community. Padel is quick, its simple and most importantly it is accessible to all. If you want to exert yourself, you can but if you want to just have fun its perfect too.
“Padelplex will be all about the service our visitors receive, right from the moment they arrive. We want to create a space where people feel part of our padel community and where they want to return time and time again.”
A decision on the application will be made by Nottingham City Council, and the founders hope they will be open for their first visitors in the summer of 2026.
