There is movement at Culcheth Sports Club, and this time it is not just someone hunting for a parking space before training. Work has officially started on new padel courts, with Ace Padel building three covered, high-quality courts after securing planning permission from the council.
For anyone still pretending padel is just tennis with smaller rackets and better marketing, it is one of the fastest-growing sports around, and frankly it is good to see Culcheth getting facilities that feel current rather than waiting until 2047 and calling it innovation.
As part of the deal, Ace Padel has acquired Legacy Health and Fitness Club, the gym already based at Culcheth Sports Club. Members are being told the gym will continue to run as normal, keeping the facilities people already use, while further improvements are planned as the site develops.
There are also plans for a reformer Pilates studio, which means Culcheth may soon have a full sport and wellness setup rather than the usual village choice of walking the dog, lifting a pint, or both.
Ace Padel says the mix of the existing gym, the new padel courts, and the proposed Pilates facility will help turn the site into a community sport and wellness hub. The aim is to create a space where people of different ages and abilities can stay active, meet others, and feel part of something local.
That bit matters. Facilities are lovely, but Culcheth does not need another shiny project that looks impressive on a launch poster and then forgets the actual community. If Ace Padel follows through on its promises, especially around accessibility and outreach, this could be a genuine win.
Jamie Reynolds, CEO and co-founder of Ace Padel, said the alignment with Culcheth Sports Club was clear from the first conversation. He said both organisations share the same purpose of supporting the community, making sport and wellness accessible to everyone, and building something long-lasting.
He also said: Culcheth is exactly the kind of place where we want to be.
Sensible man. We have decent people, strong clubs, and just enough village gossip to keep any new venture accountable.
Ace Padel has also pledged to play an active role in community outreach, with programmes expected to support schools, charities, and businesses in Culcheth. That is the sort of detail locals will rightly keep an eye on, because warm words are nice, but actual delivery is what earns respect.
Gary Monaghan, chair of Culcheth Sports Club, described the development as a significant moment for the club and for the village
. He said bringing facilities of this quality to Culcheth will help safeguard the club's future and introduce it to a new generation of members of all ages.
On balance, this looks like a strong move for the village. Better sports facilities, investment in an existing local site, and the chance to bring more people into Culcheth Sports Club are all positives. The only caution is the usual one: keep it genuinely local, keep it accessible, and do not let the place become so polished that ordinary residents feel priced out of their own community hub.