£17,000 plan to convert table tennis area at Sheffield's Millhouses Park into pickleball court
“Sheffield has become the UK’s leading city for the new sport”
A dedicated table tennis area at a Sheffield park could be converted into a pickleball court as the city’s love affair with the sport continues.
Sheffield City Council will discuss a £17,000 scheme next week to remove what it refers to as “the old table tennis area” and build a court for the UK’s “fastest-growing paddle sport”.
Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis by playing on a smaller court with a paddle and a lightweight ball.
It comes as Sheffield has become the UK’s leading city for the new sport, with 18 outdoor courts as of June this year.
Council papers read: “This project aims to improve the surfacing for the currently unused table tennis area and so it can be made safe and used for Pickleball... The old table tennis area is perfect for this re-purpose.”
Works would reportedly be completed within a month and finish by October 2026. It includes laying new bitumen and installing new nets.
In June, Sheffield Council said it had worked with Courtside and Sheffield Pickleball Club to expand access to the sport, with new court markings now in place at Graves Park, Hollinsend Park, Millhouses Park, High Hazels Park, Hillsborough Park, Abbeyfield Park and Norfolk Park.
The plan will be voted on at a Finance and Performance Policy Committee on September 21.