A second padel court planned in Bethnal Green has been cancelled after a petition reached thousands of signatures.
Tower Hamlets’ plans for the court at Bethnal Green Gardens were foiled after more than 3,000 signed a petition against the construction, with one court already built.
The area is a hub for the roller skating community in London and residents explained they did not agree to the court being built.
Skater Jamie Simon told North East Londoner the installation of the court last month came as a “total surprise”.
He said: “They’ve taken our big space away.
“There are so many other places in Bethnal Green where they could have put it.
“To have it next to a tennis court doesn’t make sense.”
Skate Storiez presenter Lillie Almond said the proposed consultation had been “insufficient” and the council changed plans after seeing the “genuine response” online.
She added: “All that can suggest to me is they thought they were going to do something, and they found out how people actually felt about it, and changed their mind.”
The complaints come after the closure of two skating venues in the last two years – a community centre in Stonebridge, which hosted the London Roller Derby, and indoor rink Flippers in White City.
The existing court, installed last month as part of a trial to gauge interest in padel, has now been moved to the corner alongside a new table-tennis table.
It is currently free to use, but will become chargeable to enter once the proposed consultation period ends.
Simon claimed once the trial ends, the courts will cost £24 per hour, a price he believes many in the area will struggle to afford.
A website from Tower Hamlets Council in partnership with Courtside has since stated they will charge users £6 per hour.
Some Bethnal Green Gardens users expressed safety concerns too, with some commenting on the surrounding structure appearing unstable, while a woman recently fell over skating around the court.
Simon explained the court’s placement means skaters now cannot perform to their full abilities and now have to funnel through the side of the court instead.
He said: “Before we had a big space, but now we have to navigate around something.
“Obviously we do pick up quite a big speed on our skates, but when we had an open space it was safe enough to do that.”
Astitva Chaudhary, who lives opposite the courts, said it was convenient for him to play padel there.
He said the court “should stay there” but added he would “play somewhere else” if it were to be removed, including spots in Stratford and Canary Wharf.
Lark, aged nine, who lives in the area, said she liked rollerskating there, and enjoyed trying out padel.
However, her mum Liana said it is “expensive”, adding the area is “definitely the best in London” for rollerskating.
Liana added: “I love that there is padel because padel is fun, but do they have to do it in an area which is already a designated skate spot?”
A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said: “This is a trial of padel courts on multi-sport games areas in Bethnal Green Gardens which currently has free padel sessions for the community, as part of our work to increase access to sport and improve the health and wellbeing of our residents.
“Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. The trial has proved popular and matches the increasing demand for the sport among residents and schools.
“We value our skating community which is why we have dedicated skate parks in Mile End and Victoria Park.
“We appreciate people will have different views, which is exactly why we are listening as part of our consultation.”
It is unclear how long the consultation will run for or where residents can submit feedback, although the council stated some free sessions will be available once paid for courts are up and running.
Courtside were approached for comment.
Feature image: Jasmine Urquhart
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