The Coventry Shareholder Committee is scheduled to meet on 7 October 2025 to discuss matters including the proposed development of padel tennis courts at the War Memorial Park. The committee will also review the minutes from its previous meeting. Councillor G Lloyd, Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, has been invited to discuss the urgency of the padel courts development, and whether call-in arrangements should be disapplied¹.

Padel Tennis Courts at War Memorial Park

The committee is scheduled to discuss a report regarding the council acting as charitable trustees for the War Memorial Park, specifically concerning the proposed development of padel tennis courts. The report seeks agreement to lease land adjacent to the existing tennis courts, inviting applications from interested companies to develop and operate padel court facilities under a minimum 15-year lease.

According to the report pack, the War Memorial Park is held on trust by the council, and any decisions must be made in the best interests of the charity. The report states that:

In exercising the obligation as Charitable Trustee, the decision takers must ensure that their decisions are only taken on the basis on what is in the interest of the Charity.

The report pack outlines three options:

• Option 1 (Recommended): Invite operators to apply for a commercial lease to develop and operate a padel facility. The operator would bear construction and operational costs, paying an agreed rental and a negotiated profit share.
• Option 2 (Not recommended): The council builds and operates the padel facility, retaining all income but requiring significant financial and resource commitment. The report notes that the Council does not have the expertise to build and operate the facility.
• Option 3 (Not Recommended): Do nothing, forgoing potential income generation and reinvestment into the War Memorial Park.

The report notes that a Charities Act report will be required to verify that the successful applicant's offer and lease terms represent best value. It also notes the requirements of section 117 (2)(b) of the Charities Act 2011, stating that the trustees must advertise and give public notice of any proposed lease of Charity land.

The rationale for the urgency of the decision is to ensure the construction programme allows the courts to be operational before the end of the peak season in Autumn 2026. The report pack states that advertising the opportunity in early October allows for proposal evaluation and securing legal commitments before the end of 2025.

The report pack also notes that the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has identified Padel has a fast and continually growing sport in the UK.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee is scheduled to review and approve the minutes from the meeting held on 15 April 2025.

The minutes from the previous meeting, which are included in the Public reports pack 07th-Oct-2025 14.00 Coventry Shareholder Committee, indicate that the committee previously considered a report regarding the former Wisteria Lodge site. The committee agreed in principle to market the site by tender and dispose of it via sale, subject to an independent Charities Act report.