By Dale Spridgeon
Copyright dailypost
Bangor’s once bustling Denis Ferranti aerospace parts site could soon incorporate an “exciting” sports venue, if plans are agreed.
The company was formerly located on a 6.5 acre site at the heart of the city on Caernarfon Road.
Started in 1951, at its height the site employed around a thousand people in engineering and manufacturing. It closed some 71 years later, in 2022.
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In December, 2024, it was reported that the freehold site had been bought by the Bearmont Group, which owns the Menai Centre shopping park in Bangor, with the The Denis Ferranti Group retaining a presence in the estate, through a part-sale and leaseback agreement occupying a quarter of the complex.
The company had then said it wanted to create a” dynamic industrial hub” that accommodated a wider range of business uses.
A Cyngor Gwynedd planning application has been submitted regarding “Denis Ferranti Meters Ltd for a change of use of an existing industrial unit (Use Class B2) to an indoor padel sports centre (Use Class D2) and associated work”.
The application is by the Social Sports Society through the agents JMS Planning & Development Ltd and concerns Unit F of the industrial site.
The application says it is “the first submission made in an effort to transform the estate into a key driver of economic growth and job creation in the region”.
It also notes plans for the wider estate include “significant improvements” to existing units, upgraded facilities, and a redesign that will “provide businesses with flexible options tailored to their needs”.
The Social Sports Society says it aims to “bring people from different backgrounds together through social activities to support mental and physical health and happiness”.
It occupies under-utilised urban spaces to “activate the local communities to play, socialise and benefit from affordable physical activities”.
The application states that proposals will provide “an engaging and exciting meanwhile use for the local community and wider area with the introduction of a padel sports centre”.
The plans include eight padel courts, two pickleball courts, a reception/WC area, cabins, warm up zone and cycle parking. Existing parking areas within the site will also be used,
Padel is described as a cross between tennis and squash; the court is similar to a tennis court but smaller, at 20m x 10m, and framed by a glass wall / surround.
Like doubles tennis, there are four players; two either side of a centre net. The ball can be bounced off the glass walls and remain in play.
The turf has a layer of sand and that slows the ball down, “making Padel generally more accessible and sociable than tennis or squash” it says.
“Pickleball, brings together some of the best elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, into a fun and exciting game for people of all ages and abilities”.
It is played on a court similar to badminton, but using a shorter tennis-style net. Players use paddles to hit a plastic ball between one another and it can be played as both singles and doubles.
The proposed hours of opening are 5pm to 11pm. Peak times are likely to be in the mornings 7am – 10am and evenings 5pm – 11pm.
The site is surrounded by a mix of commercial and residential properties including homes along Cilcoed and Bryn Llywd.
A social impact statement noted that free play will be made available for those without access to facilities, as well as coaching courses for at-risk youth and partnerships with schools to provide free padel facilities.
