University to serve Padel in Salford with brand new partnership

The University of Salford is planning to open its first Padel courts as part of an exciting new partnership.

Soul Padel will lead the planning application and run the facility if successful. Scheduled to open in Spring 2026, the courts will be bookable by students, University staff and people from the local community.

Padel is billed as one of the fastest growing sports in the world and is a racket game which is a cross between tennis and squash. It’s played on enclosed courts surrounded by walls of glass and metallic mesh.

Chief Infrastructure Officer at the University of Salford Mark Wantling says: “We are undertaking a major regeneration of our campus to improve it for everybody, and upgrading our sporting offer is part of that.

“These are the University’s first Padel courts, and we are really excited to be providing a facility that we know will be really popular not only with students but with staff and local residents too.”

The Padel courts deal is part of the university’s overall regeneration of its campus (or Campus Connectivity Plan) which aims to upgrade and improve its buildings, grounds and services for students, colleagues and the wider community. The CCP is part of the  wider Crescent Salford Masterplan in which the University is a partner along with Salford City Council and ECF.

Their work will see the biggest regeneration of this area of the city ever undertaken and the Padel courts will aid in the creation of a place to live, work, learn and be active, which connects communities across the city.

Mark Hewlett, Founder and CEO of Soul Padel says: “This partnership with the University of Salford ticks every box. We’re creating something lasting; more than just a facility, it’s a hub  for wellbeing, social connection, and opportunity. We’re proud to be supporting the next generation in moving more, playing more, and connecting more, both on campus and beyond.”

If the planning application is successful four new covered Padel courts will be built on the University’s Wallness Lane land. The new courts will create student employment opportunities and have the potential to support academic research and deliver campus based public art initiatives, helping make Padel an integral part of university culture.