'Europe’s Largest' Padel and Pickleball Centre to Open in Park Royal

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American based operator reveals details of plans

A pickleball court. Picture: Running Racket Ltd

July 8, 2025

A pickleball operator based in California plans to open a facility in Park Royal which it says will be the largest of its kind in Europe.

Pickle Pop, which has two existing venues in Santa Moncia, was given permission earlier this year to convert Dooa House on North Acton Road by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development corporation. This was in the face of an objection from Ealing Council which was concerned about the loss of 88,242 sq ft of industrial and commercial space. However, the buildings, which are mainly made of warehousing space, have been vacant since 2020 despite efforts to find tenants.

The new centre is licensed to open Monday to Thursday 10am to 11pm, Friday & Saturday 10am 11:30pm and Sunday 11am to 11pm with the licence holder being Running Racket Ltd. It will be named Racketeer and will have a combination of pickleball and padel courts to accommodate the rapid growth of both of those sports in the UK.

The indoor sport offering will be installed within the existing warehouse space without permanent structural changes. Pickleball courts will use painted floor markings, while padel courts will be enclosed with demountable glass walls, preserving the ability to revert the unit to full industrial use if required. There will be 12 courts in total which is the same number as at the Rocks Lane centre in Chiswick, however this facility only offers pickleball parties for children and does not have courts suitable for pickleball tournament. Hence the claim that the Park Royal centre is Europe’s largest is based on a narrow definition.

Externally, the only proposed alterations include removing a red shelter on the front elevation and installing a new pedestrian and cycle entrance. The redesigned frontage will include seating, soft landscaping, and 42 public cycle parking spaces. The car parking layout will include three standard spaces, four accessible bays, and one electric vehicle charging point.

Running Racquet says it plans to collaborate with local textile artists and sustainable fashion producers, to produce and personalise racquet sports gear on the site.

Pickle Pop was founded by Stephanie McCaffrey and Erin Robertson. McCaffrey was quoted in the Propel newsletter as saying, “We are proud to be the first brand to launch pickleball here, and excited for the challenge to provide a world-class facility for the rapid demand of padel that exists in London. The site stands at 90,000 square feet and will feature 12 courts, event spaces, a cafe and some awesome new off-court experience offerings we are excited to announce in due course. Racketeer is more than just courts solving a supply problem – it’s a multi-faceted space combining sport, art and the highest quality food and beverage offering possible. After launching with two pop-up style spaces in LA (that are still going) it was deeply important to me to secure our long-term home in a killer urban market.”

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