Cork City Council has rejected plans for a new large-scale padel tennis facility in Bishopstown due to zoning restrictions. The site is designated for light industrial use, not sports facilities. An Coimisiún Pleanála upheld the refusal, emphasizing the need to preserve employment land.
Developers from Padel Tennis Ireland Ltd submitted an application to Cork City Council in July 2025 for a recreational facility on the Bandon Road N71, near the roundabout by the entrance to Dunnes Stores at Bishopscourt. The proposed development included an indoor space of approximately 2,750 square meters, featuring eight padel tennis courts, a reception and seating area, toilets, changing rooms, and a merchandise sales section.
The council denied permission, explaining that the zoning of the site "does not provide for sports facilities." Officials noted that the land is reserved for light industry activities, aligning with development plan objectives to ensure a diverse range of employment opportunities through an adequate supply of such spaces.
Planning documents from the applicants highlighted the sport's rising popularity, stating, "There are currently over 50 Padel tennis courts in Ireland, and the surge in popularity of the sport in the country is driving a demand for more such facilities." Despite this, An Coimisiún Pleanála sided with its inspector's report and refused the plans. The commission determined that the commercial leisure facility would contravene zoning objectives and "prejudice the future provision of light industry and related uses within this area of Cork City, on a site which is currently undeveloped."
This decision underscores ongoing tensions between expanding recreational infrastructure and protecting industrial zones in urban areas like Cork.