PLANS to turn a former warehouse unit at Darton Business Park into an indoor sport centre have been approved by Barnsley Council.

An application for work to take place at unit 11 and unit 12 at the business park on Barnsley Road to create five padel courts was submitted to the planning department in November.

Padel is a racket sport played on an enclosed court that is a fusion of tennis and squash, making it a fast-paced, social and accessible game for all ages and abilities.

It’s risen in popularity in recent years and there are a number of padel courts currently in Barnsley.

The plans also include a cafe, bar services and upgrades to internal lighting.

A report states: “The units are currently unoccupied and have been since summer 2025.

“There is sufficient infrastructure capacity within the vicinity to support the application proposals.

“There are several units on this site within the local vicinity that have received previous approval and support for a change of use.

“The proposals will contribute to the local employment opportunities offering the following positions available - four full-time staff, one site manager, two padel coaches, and two part-time cleaning and maintenance workers.

“The proposal seeks to repurpose the site for a leisure facility that delivers community, health, and economic benefits.

“The padel courts will create new jobs, promote active lifestyles and enhance local wellbeing.”

The report added that the applicants have been in touch with Enterprising Barnsley who are supportive of the application.

It said: “Further to the above application we had previously been in discussion with Hazel Sykes who is the business investment manager at Enterprising Barnsley.

“Hazel was extremely supportive of our proposals and would welcome the additional sports services this would bring to the area.

“Hazel had previously contacted the planning department on our behalf with our initial proposals and the feed back we obtained was very positive.”

The plans were given the green light by the council’s planning department earlier this week.