A controversial proposal to convert London’s Olympic indoor tennis centre into padel courts has been shelved.
Campaigners welcomed the news “with open arms” and said safeguarding the future of the world-class tennis facility in Eton Manor was paramount.
The Lea Valley Regional Park Authority, which owns the £40m venue built as a legacy of the 2012 Games, wanted to turn the four indoor courts into nine padel courts in a bid to capitalise on the new-found popularity of padel and to increase footfall.
But about 2,000 people signed a petition opposing the move – which was made without public consultation – and the Lawn Tennis Association described the plans as a “betrayal of the London 2012 legacy and the athletes who competed at the Games”.
Members of Lea Valley’s executive committee are now expected, at a meeting on July 31, to order a wider review of the provision of tennis and padel courts at the hockey and tennis centre.
The review will be tasked with attracting more users from beyond the four closest east London boroughs and making the venue, which opened in 2014, more commercially sustainable.
This would mean that a £500,000 plan to convert the indoor tennis courts would be "not implemented”.
It opens up the possibility of a dedicated padel venue being built within the 25-acre grounds of the tennis and hockey centre, though this could present planning challenges.
The review is expected to take six to nine months to complete.
At present, the tennis centre “operates at a deficit”, according to Lea Valley, despite the indoor courts being booked for 70% to 80% of sessions, and the outdoor courts 60-65% of sessions.
More than 8,000 people a month take part in tennis lessons or courses, pay and play and social tennis sessions across indoor and outdoor courts.
Four options have been included in the paper to be considered by the Lea Valley executive next week.
These are:
* A hybrid approach that would convert two of the indoor tennis courts to padel I(at a cost of £300,000), leaving two courts for tennis.
* Conversion of some outdoor courts for padel.
* Proceed with the proposal to convert the indoor tennis courts to padel courts.
* Step back and assess the scope for an investment in padel in the context of the wider site investment opportunities.
Only option D has been recommended.
The Save Lee Valley Tennis campaign group said the change of approach “does not completely rule out other courses of action”, but was a “clear sign” that Lea Valley was backing away from the initial position of completely redeveloping the four indoor courts at the facility into Padel courts.
The campaign group told The Standard: “The wider tennis community at Lea Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre welcome this news with open arms.
“Safeguarding the future of this world class tennis and Olympic legacy venue is paramount to us, and the provision of a padel facility on site will only make the future of indoor tennis in London brighter.
“From the beginning we had been dismayed by the seeming ease with which this controversy could have been avoided.
“The initial proposal lacked credible statistical underpinning, lacked any consultation with the local and tennis playing communities, and failed to address the needs of the para tennis community, those with neurodiversity, junior and early years tennis players, and over 55 players.
“Having read the latest recommendation from Lea Valley Regional Park Authority, we appreciate that our voices appear to have been heard.”
It said the “only viable option” was to retain all four indoor tennis courts by building separate padel courts on site.
Sem Moema, the London Assembly member for the area, said: "I hope the board agrees to take this more considered approach. It’s vital that any investment in padel is not at the expense of existing tennis provision.
"I urge the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority to ensure that any future plans protect and maintain current tennis facilities so that all residents – from grassroots players to aspiring professionals – can continue to access and enjoy them.”
The paper to be considered next week reveals that Lea Valley has undertaken a number of feasibility studies in recent years to look at ways of bringing investment to the site, including a hotel development and a joint venture with a university.
Both “showed promise” but a combination of the pandemic and more recently the severe challenges facing the higher education sector meant that neither has progressed.
The park authority is about to launch a wider review of “investment opportunities and optimising the land and property assets” it owns in the northern end of the Olympic park, including the Velo Park.
The idea for padel courts was first made by the centre’s operators, GLL, in early 2025. This would have occupied three of the outdoor courts.
However, the cost and planning challenges of building a structure of at least 8m in height on Metropolitan Open Land meant it “wasn’t deemed to be a feasible project”.
Padel is most commonly played in doubles on an enclosed court measuring 10m by 20m.
Players use a solid, stringless racket and a ball similar to a tennis ball but with slightly lower pressure. Players serve underhand, and the ball can be played off the surrounding glass and mesh walls after it bounces.
