Planners have backed proposals to open padel tennis courts behind a popular nightclub in Chatham town centre.

Under the plans, an empty site near Tap N Tin would be converted into three courts for the fast-growing racquet sport.

The site was formerly occupied by New Cut Industrial Centre until it was demolished in 2020.

Government body Sport England supported the plans, saying the courts would improve access to opportunities for sport and physical activity.

The new facility would be open from 8am until 10pm daily, with enough room for up to 12 players at any one time.

The plans also include the creation of 18 car parking spaces and cycle spaces.

Platform 26, a co-working office space in Railway Street, will manage the courts and give players access to their toilets, café and changing rooms.

In 2019 plans for a seven-storey block of 35 flats on the same site were given the go-ahead, but it was never built and the approval has since expired.

Invented in 1969, padel is often described as a hybrid of tennis and squash, attracting over 30 million players worldwide.

It’s played in pairs in an enclosed court, which is around a third smaller than traditional tennis courts, using solid racquets with air holes instead of strings.

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