Three padel courts are set to be delivered at Steel City Stadium, bringing one of the world’s fastest-growing sports to Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, creating new opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to get active, connect and take part in sport, at the heart of a destination dedicated to improving health and wellbeing.
Planning permission was granted by Sheffield City Council on 8April 2026, with SGI now moving quickly to bring the project forward. Works are expected to begin in May, with the courts targeted to open in September 2026.
Set on the main stadium concourse, the courts will sit to the side of Steel City Stadium and be accessed via a secure, gated entrance, forming part of the Stadium’s wider offer alongside the professional 3G pitch and changing facilities, flexible workspace and performance nutrition café.
The addition builds on the Park’s founding ambition to create a place where people can be active, improve their health and benefit from world-leading innovation in sport and wellbeing - a legacy inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Padel - a fast-paced, sociable sport combining elements of tennis and squash - is seeing rapid growth across the UK, with the number of courts increasing more than fourfold since 2021. With provision still relatively limited across South Yorkshire, the new courts will help open up access to the sport and support wider participation locally.
Scott McCabe, Director at SGI, said:
“We are delighted to have secured planning approval for the padel courts at Steel City Stadium.
“This is about more than just new courts - it’s about creating more opportunities for people to get active and be part of what’s happening here at the Park.
“Padel is growing rapidly across the UK and globally, and we’re excited to bring that energy into Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park as we continue to invest in the Stadium and its wider offer.”
The project forms part of SGI’s continued investment into Steel City Stadium and the wider Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, where the Group has already committed more than £10 million to deliver key infrastructure, workspace and amenities.
It also comes at a time of continued momentum across the Park, with Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust preparing to open The Spark - a unique UK centre bringing together clinicians, researchers, industry partners and young people to develop and test new technologies that improve children’s health - in early summer 2026.
