Thursday March 19th 2026
Photo by Vincenzo Morellie (Unsplash)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A farming couple are courting approval to convert agricultural buildings into a new padel tennis facility in the Borders.
As part of diversification plans, Mr & Mrs W. Mitchell, of Wellrig Farm in Melrose, have submitted an application to change the use of a shed into two padel courts with an outdoor seating area.
Padel tennis is exceptionally popular and widely regarded as the fastest-growing sport in the world, with over 30 million players globally.
It is a highly social and accessible racket sport combining elements of tennis and squash, typically played in doubles on an enclosed court.
Wellrig Farm is a 360-acre arable farm at Charlesfield near Melrose which in recent years has primarily grown winter cereals and oilseed rape.
The farming couple bought the farm in 2025 with the intention of converting it to organic production and enabling further diversification of the farming business.
As with many farms, there is a need to diversify in a bid to open new revenue streams which will assist in ensuring the viability of the farm going forward and maximising the use of existing assets.
Now, in collaboration with Border Padel Co., the aim is to generate a new revenue stream for the farm, without substantially displacing current uses of the shed (grain store/machinery storage) which can all be accommodated in other sites on the farm.
Borders Padel Co. etablished first padel tennis facility in the Borders at Cliftonhill Farm just outside of Kelso, where a state-of-the-art indoor padel court is tucked away in a converted farm shed.
A report with the application states: “The central location of the padel tennis facility in the Scottish Borders will provide access to a new leisure/sporting activity for a large number of local Borders residents, with associated health and well-being benefits.
“The establishment of a second all-weather indoor padel facility in the Borders will also add to the attractiveness of the area to tourists and continue to position it as a high-quality tourism destination offering a range of activities to cater to holidaymakers’ needs.
“This will help contribute to wider economic benefits through tourist spending in local shops, restaurants and visitor attractions.
“The proposed development can be accommodated within an existing farm shed without affecting the farming operation.
“This exciting proposal will seek to offer a padel court facility that will be available for use by locals and holiday makers, offering a year-round facility that is not generally available in the Scottish Borders.”
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