MUMBLES: Businessman’s alternative padel plan would use £400,000 of his own money, so the council doesn’t have to
A businessman with family in Mumbles has offered to spend £400,000 of his own money turning the old seafront tennis courts into four padel courts.
Rico Maza wants a long lease on the site in return, with Swansea Council keeping the land and collecting the rent.
It is an alternative to the council’s own plans for three courts and a car park on Mumbles Gardens, the site between the Oyster House and Oystermouth Bowls Club.
Mumbles Action Group set out a rival vision on Saturday, with a lido and games court instead of the car park.
Mr Maza says he has written to the council and local councillors. “I’ve not heard anything back from the council or councillors,” he said.
£400,000 padel offer: four floodlit courts and pay-and-play
He would build four enclosed glass and mesh courts to Lawn Tennis Association standards, floodlit for evening games, with online booking and pay-and-play.
There would be coaching, leagues and junior sessions, he says, and cheaper off-peak rates for local residents.
The £400,000 would pay for the courts, glass, lighting, surfacing and installation. Maintenance, insurance and the day-to-day running would be his responsibility for the length of the lease.
Under his offer, he says, the council “keeps ownership of the land, receives a rental income, and has no capital outlay or ongoing maintenance and operating responsibilities”.
Only a few parking spaces would be needed, he says.
Tree planting to screen Mumbles Road neighbours from noise and light
Mr Maza accepts the courts are close to homes. Roadside trees and landscaping would screen sound and light, he says, and the floodlights would be angled to limit light spill.
Who is Rico Maza?
Rico Maza (Image: Rico Maza)He says he has spent many years running council sports facilities and park catering sites around London and Essex.
He is moving to Mumbles, where his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter live. His daughter-in-law’s family “have lived there all their lives”, he said.
A Lawn Tennis Association member and a club tennis player “for a lifetime”, he is new to padel himself. “I’m new to paddle tennis, but the excitement it brings is unmatched,” he said.
He would bring in “one or two of the best paddle coaches available”, teaching everyone from “complete beginners like myself” to players who want to compete at a higher level.
Getting the coaching right from day one matters, he said: “Building a high-quality coaching program from the outset would help establish the facility as a genuine centre for developing the sport.”
‘I would also be interested in running the paddle tennis facility for the council’
If the council presses on with its own three courts, Mr Maza says he would like to run them.
He thinks it would save the council money in the long run. “In my opinion the council work with the best intentions, but the cost of delivering and operating projects can sometimes increase considerably over time,” he said.
He accepts the council “has its own plans in motion”, and says he would welcome a meeting with its property, regeneration and leisure teams.
The council’s plan: three courts and the car park back
The council’s own application has no cost, no opening date and no word yet on who would run the courts or what a game would cost.
It asked Mumbles in January last year what should replace the tennis courts, and says padel was the sport most people named.
Cllr Andrew Stevens, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said the plans showed “we have listened carefully to what our communities want”.
Some residents commenting online have questioned giving part of the site over to parking, while others welcomed padel as a sport that is easier to pick up than tennis.
Leasing out tennis courts would not be new for the council. Last year it offered three under-used courts at Langland for redevelopment on a long lease.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
MUMBLES: Campaign group’s alternative plan for the old tennis courts swaps the car park for a lido
Mumbles Action Group’s rival vision for the site.
MUMBLES: Padel courts to replace the old seafront tennis courts, and the car park is coming back
The council’s own plan for three courts and a car park.
Langland Bay tennis court site may be redeveloped to include new leisure facilities
The council’s offer of three Langland courts on a long lease.