Campaigners rail at rise of pay-to-play padel courts

London’s Barking Skate Park, the city's only full-size indoor skate park, has closed to be replaced by padel courts. This closure is part of a broader trend of converting existing community spaces into the rapidly growing sport. solvita.blog

Residents argue that these proposals represent a form of gentrification that displaces local families who relied on these free spaces.