Ship repair company applies for a padel court on barge in Marsa

A ship repair company has filed a planning application to create a padel court on a barge in Marsa.

The application by Cassar Ship Repair – PA/03622/26 – proposes a padel court on a barge in the sea off Slipway 6 at Triq is-Salib tal-Marsa.

The barge would be secured by bollards on land and heavy mooring blocks in the sea. The court and adjoining seating area would be just over 20 metres long and around 12 metres wide.

When contacted, applicant Anthony Cassar said the company, which has been in the maritime industry for 40 years, did not intend to make much money from the project.

“We have contracts worth hundreds of thousands of euros, so the money we make from the court would be a drop in the ocean in comparison. We want to make this court to give something back to the community and to make Marsa worth visiting,” he said, adding that company employees would be able to use it for free.

Cassar said the proposed padel court would involve repurposing a barge that would otherwise be used for maritime-related work.

According to Cassar, the plans have the blessing of the Marsa mayor and are in line with the government’s plans to regenerate the area.

“If there’s a company that understands the regeneration of the Marsa port area, it’s us,” he said.

The court and adjoining seating area would be just over 20 metres long and around 12 metres wide.

'Inspired by similar structures abroad'

Cassar said he was inspired to file the application by similar structures he had seen abroad.

“You see shipyards and ports where things are done differently. We wanted to introduce a concept that shows the area can be more than just ship repair,” he said.

The proposed court, he said, would be movable because it would be built on a barge and could be shifted using tugboats if necessary.

“You cannot make more than one. There is no room and there is no scope for lots of courts,” he said.

“We want people to enjoy coming into a shipyard. It is something different.”

We want people to enjoy coming into a shipyard. It is something different- Anthony Cassar

The application comes as padel courts continue to crop up across Malta, following a rapid rise in the sport’s popularity in recent years.

The country’s first two padel courts opened in Pembroke in January 2020.

By April 2024, three clubs were running around 25 courts across the island, while a later analysis found around 40 publicly accessible courts in Malta, with the biggest increase appearing to have taken place around 2023.

The sport has also attracted controversy. Earlier this year, the Planning Authority halted works on padel courts being built by Gżira United Football Club on Manoel Island after activists flagged that the works were taking place without a permit.

A case officer later recommended approving an application to sanction the Manoel Island courts, which had been partly built before a permit was granted, subject to conditions and a €900 fine.