PLANS for a first rural indoor padel club on the Wiltshire border have moved forward following a recent council decision.
Dorset Council has validated a planning application for the Chalk & Padel development at Thorneydown Farm, located on the edge of Sixpenny Handley in the Cranborne Chase area.
The proposed venue would include three indoor courts, wellness amenities, and a New Zealand-inspired café.
The project is the brainchild of Ben Chick, a third-generation farmer at Thorneydown Farm, which is located on the A354 between Blandford Forum and Salisbury.
Mr Chick said: "Farming is under huge pressure right now, and diversification has to mean building something that genuinely adds value to the area, not just surviving.
"This is a working farm, and it always will be.
"But sitting alongside the farm, we have the chance to create something this part of Dorset has never had."
Read more
-
Plans to produce salmon at ex-trout farm approved despite more than 1,000 objections
-
Cycling scheme reaches major milestone in primary schools across county
-
Former farm land nominated as Asset of Community Value among latest applications
-
Council submits plans to expand public toilets in Salisbury Market Place
The proposed site is on the edge of Sixpenny Handley in the Cranborne Chase National Landscape.
Plans also include Aroha Coffee, a specialty café influenced by New Zealand’s coffee culture.
The project has a personal motivation for Mr Chick, who has been living with chronic fatigue.
He said: "I've been dealing with chronic fatigue over the past couple of years, and it completely changes how you look at life.
"You realise how important health, community and connection actually are.
"That’s what this project is built around.
"We want to bring an incredible sport to an area that currently has nothing, and create a place where people come not just to play, but to connect, recharge and spend proper time together."
Padel is the fastest-growing racket sport in Britain.
On May 15, 2026, the Lawn Tennis Association announced that one million adults and juniors are now playing the sport across 1,825 courts at 551 venues.
This marks a dramatic rise from just 15,000 players and 68 courts in 2019.
Chalk & Padel would be the first venue of its kind to serve communities in North Dorset and South Wiltshire, including Blandford Forum, Shaftesbury, Sturminster Newton, Wimborne and Salisbury.
The club aims to offer more than just sport.
It will blend wellness, hospitality and rural aesthetics to create a destination people can enjoy for an entire morning, not just a single hour of play.
Dorset Council’s validation of the application marks the beginning of the formal planning process.
If approved, Chalk & Padel hopes to open in late 2026 or early 2027.
Share