Monday August 24th 2026
Photo by Vincenzo Morelli
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
It’s game, set and match for a Borders farming couple after they were given go-ahead to convert agricultural buildings into a new padel tennis facility.
Scottish Borders Council planners have rubber-stamped diversification plans from Mr & Mrs W. Mitchell, of Wellrig Farm near Melrose.
They have agreed 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 which in recent years has primarily grown winter cereals and oilseed rape.
The 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 without substantially displacing current uses of the shed (grain store/machinery storage) which can all be accommodated in other sites on the farm.
A report approving the application, from assistant SBC planning officer Alla Hassan, stated: “The proposed padel courts would accommodate a maximum of eight users at any one time.
“It is acknowledged that the use would generate some noise associated with play, together with noise arising from the comings and goings of users.
“Notwithstanding this, the courts would be fully contained within the existing building, which would provide a degree of acoustic attenuation and help to filter noise generated by the activity.
“Furthermore, the relatively limited number of users at any one time is not considered likely to give rise to significant noise levels.
“The distance between the building and neighbouring properties is also a key consideration and, furthermore, no objections were received from the Environmental Health Officer to suggest concerns otherwise.”
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