Padel craze drives surge in leisure construction as building activity rises

Construction activity has risen across leisure, thanks to the popularity of padel, while prime office developments and airport projects have created a wide range of new work opportunities for UK contractors.

The value of new sport facilities rose 15 per cent in between January to March, to £188 million, while the value of indoor leisure schemes grew to £438 million, up 35 per cent in the same period according to Glenigan data.

The Lawn Tennis Association, which governs rules and regulations around tennis and padel, reported that the racquet sport was one of the fastest growing past times in Great Britain, with 860,000 adults and juniors playing at least once in the past year. 

Dozens of new padel courts are in the pipeline.

Planning permission was recently granted to Total Fitness at West Strand, Preston for a £4.8 million scheme to build additional courts.

Meanwhile, further south, a growing demand for office space has also increased the number of projects contractors are working on.

London accounted for the highest proportion of office space development activity, which included big data centre starts worth almost £2.9 billion.

Yet, a decline in new builds is set to trigger an office supply gap from 2027-30 as demand for “top-tier workspaces” rises according to Deloitte.

“Together, the expansion of airport infrastructure and the rapid rise of padel facilities highlight how diverse pockets of demand are shaping the construction landscape.”

Additionally, despite high oil prices and jet fuel shortages, exacerbated by war in the Middle East, airport construction programmes are taking off at an increasing rate.

Project starts are either in the near-term pipeline or being planned at Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester and Bristol airport.

These have helped push the value of airport projects planned to £202 million in the same first quarter period.

Projects include a £150 million Stansted terminal extension with construction giant Laing O’Rourke appointed as main contractor.

Allan Wilen, economics director at Glenigan said: “Together, the expansion of airport infrastructure and the rapid rise of padel facilities highlight how diverse pockets of demand are shaping the construction landscape. 

From major transport hubs to emerging leisure trends, there are clear opportunities for contractors to tap into projects that reflect both long-term investment priorities and evolving consumer behaviours.”

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