Padel courts planned for former Cleethorpes zoo

Plans to build courts for the "world's fastest-growing sport" have been revealed for Cleethorpes.

An application for five outdoor padel courts at the former Jungle Zoo site, off Kings Road, have been submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council.

The plans include a clubhouse which will be built using shipping containers. It will house a pay station, changing rooms, toilets and storage facilities.

Padel is a racquet sport played on courts about three-quarters of the size of those used for tennis and are surrounded by glass and mesh walls.

Padel has been described by the Lawn Tennis Association as "the fastest-growing sport in the world".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, four of the proposed courts would be covered by a canopy to allow use all year round.

The application indicated the opening hours for the facility would be 06:00 to 23:00.

The proposal has been submitted on behalf of East Coast Padel, which operates a similar facility in Hull.

East Coast Padel's director, James Neetham, said they had picked the location due to having "fond memories of the Jungle Zoo from our childhoods".

"It gives us an opportunity to create something fresh from the ground up at a site we were sad to see had been derelict," he said.

The Jungle Zoo site has been vacant since it closed in 2022 due to high running costs. It was hit by a suspected arson attack in July 2024.

Residents have until 30 March to comment on the application, which will then be reviewed by North East Lincolnshire Council.

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