Ex-footballer partners with Renaker on Manchester padel venture

Fabio Borini, who played for Liverpool and AC Milan during his career, is spearheading plans for a seven-court venue off Baird Street.

Padel 16, which Borini runs with Manchester entrepreneur Anthony Bingham, has applied for permission to erect a padel club on a Renaker-owned site close to Manchester Piccadilly.

Renaker was also involved in Manchester city centre’s very first padel club, which took residence on a development plot at Great Jackson Street. Last year, Club de Padel vacated the site, which is earmarked for a cluster of skyscrapers.

The Baird Street site is currently used as a car park but could be redeveloped into a padel-led wellbeing facility.

Padel 16’s project proposes five indoor courts and another two outdoor, as well as a Pilates studio and sauna and ice bath facilities.

The scheme would be Padel 16’s second following the delivery of a quartet of outdoor courts in Worsley.

The Padel 16 founders said: “Our vision has always been to create a place that brings people together through sport, wellbeing, and community.

“We’ve seen the positive impact this has had at our first venue in Worsley, and we believe Manchester Piccadilly can become another destination that the whole city can enjoy and be proud of.”

Carter Jonas advised the founders on the scheme.

Andy Cowan, associate partner, of planning and development at Carter Jonas, commented: “The proposals will bring activity to an underused part of the city centre and, with padel’s continued growth across the UK, demand for facilities of this calibre shows no sign of slowing. We look forward to supporting Padel 16 through the planning process.”

Padel Social Club, another operator of courts for the fast-growing sport, is progressing plans for a 14-court venue within a disused part of Manchester Arena, owned by LondonMetric.

That scheme would see five courts built on the roof deck car park at the arena and would be the largest in Manchester city centre.