Padel courts replacing skateparks and playgrounds — residents fight back

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Proposals to convert skateparks, children’s play areas and basketball courts have angered residents

Aiwa Saito and her children are one of many families who were regulars at Barking Skate Park. But after skating there for more than five years, London’s only full-size indoor skate park closed on Sunday and will be replaced with padel courts.

Padel is one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports, according to the Lawn Tennis Association , and the plan to convert Barking Skate Park is the latest in a series of proposals across London. However, some plans that have sought to build pay-to-play padel courts on top of existing spaces have angered residents and provoked claims of gentrification and community displacement.

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