The Leisure Box

The Leisure Box is a 133,000 square foot community leisure facility at Northlight, Glen Way, Brierfield, Nelson BB9 5NH. It sits in the converted warehouse section of the former Brierfield cotton mill, run by Burnley FC in the Community, just off Junction 12 of the M65.

Padel at The Leisure Box opened in 2023 and shares the building with a climbing wall, gym, indoor 4G and outdoor 3G pitches, badminton, pickleball, table tennis, cricket lanes and a soft play area. The official venue site is theleisurebox.org and live availability is shown on the Playtomic booking page.

The padel courts

The Leisure Box has one indoor padel court, listed on Playtomic as ‘Padel 1’. It is a full doubles court with panoramic glass walls and indoor LED lighting, set inside the climate-controlled main hall so play is unaffected by Lancashire weather.

The court is suitable for two, three or four players, with the standard format being doubles. Rackets and balls are available to hire at reception for a small fee, which makes the venue easy to use for first-timers, school groups and visitors who do not own padel kit yet.

The artificial turf surface, glass back walls and lighting appear to be specified for indoor play, with clean sight lines down both tramlines. The surrounding hall feels closer to a purpose-built padel facility than a converted sports hall, which is reflected in the venue’s strong 4.4 star Google rating from local players.

Booking padel and access

All padel bookings run through Playtomic. You can book a court on Playtomic for 60 or 90 minute slots, with payment taken at the time of reservation. The venue is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 22:00 and Saturday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00.

Off-peak court hire from 09:00 to 16:00 on weekdays is £20 per court per hour, which works out at £5 per person for a full doubles game. Peak evening and weekend rates rise to around £28 per court per hour, or £7 per person for four players. A 90 minute slot at peak is around £42 per court.

The booking age policy is 16 and over, with under-16s welcome when accompanied by an adult. Cancellation terms are shown at the booking step on Playtomic. For court enquiries the reception line is 01282 222 380 and the email address is leisurebox@burnleyfc.com. There are 80 free on-site parking spaces accessible via Glen Way, plus secure bike racks at the entrance.

Programme and social padel

As a community-led facility the focus at The Leisure Box is on accessible, drop-in play rather than a heavily structured competitive ladder. Pay-and-play bookings sit alongside the broader Burnley FC in the Community programme of free and low-cost sessions for local residents, including activities aimed at junior players and people with special educational needs.

Social mix-ins and open court sessions are posted on the venue’s Facebook and Instagram channels, and the on-site cafeteria, vending area and lockers make it easy to make a longer visit of it. There is no resident padel academy at present, so coaching enquiries are best directed to leisurebox@burnleyfc.com.

Best for

The Leisure Box is well suited to casual players, families and beginners in Burnley, Nelson and the wider Pendle area who want an affordable indoor padel court. Off-peak weekday rates are among the most accessible in Lancashire, and the multi-sport setting works for groups that want to combine padel with the climbing wall, gym or soft play.

It is less suited to competitive players who need multiple courts for league nights or extended tournament play, since the venue runs a single court. Players in that bracket may prefer larger dedicated padel clubs in Greater Manchester or West Yorkshire and use The Leisure Box for regular local sessions and family visits.

For other places to play nearby, browse the full list of padel clubs in Lancashire, with court counts, prices and booking links.

The Leisure Box does not run a resident padel academy. Coaching enquiries are handled on request via reception, with sessions arranged through visiting LTA-qualified coaches when demand allows.