Historic Roundhouse could become padel courts and gym

A Grade II listed railway engine shed near Armley Gyratory could be turned into padel courts, an indoor gym and supporting facilities.

Fresh proposals for the historic Wellington Road building will be considered by councillors sitting on the Plans West panel next Thursday (9 July).

Plans include nine outdoor padel courts and converting the roundhouse into a single padel court, a gym and supporting facilities including reception, changing rooms, café, retail, offices, events space and pilates studio.

A planning officer’s report to be considered by councillors states there is relatively little alteration to the outside of the Listed building.

It adds: “As the internal padel court would not have sufficient height for regulation size padel play, the applicant intends to establish a community focussed programme by inviting local schools to use the facility, with introductory sessions supporting early engagement with physical activity and broadening access to emerging sports.”

The proposal has the support of civic watchdog Leeds Civic Trust and Historic England when consulted as part of the application, the report said.

A report to the meeting said the outdoor part of the site had been allocated for homes as part of the city’s Site Allocations Plan.

The report concluded the scheme would be a ‘positive benefit to the people of Leeds’ and added: “The proposal would have some negative impacts, but overall it is considered that these would be outweighed by the benefits.

“The new partitioning within and siting of canopy covered external courts next to the Roundhouse would cause a small amount of harm to the Grade II* listed building, but this would be outweighed by the removal of inappropriate partitioning and structures, by building restoration and by the future permanent use of the listed building.”

Similar plans for the site were approved in principle by the council in 2025 but did not come to fruition.

The agenda and reports can be read in full here.