Part of the old Claremont Bowls Club is now a padel-tennis court and another section will become an indigenous nursery after a rental deal was struck with the trust that owns the land.
The Bowwood Road property was transferred to the Claremont Beneficiary Trust, in 2017, following a land-claim process, but it became home to the homeless and criminal elements.
It now has a new lease on life thanks to the three-year deal with Africa Padel and a two-and-a-half-year lease with two organisations working together: U-turn, a non-profit that helps the homeless, and Communitree, an urban-greening NGO.
In 2020, plans for the Claremont In-a-City 4×4 Adventure and Amusement Park were touted. It would have included 23 obstacles for novice and advanced drivers, an outside car wash, a children’s play area and a restaurant (“4×4 track for old bowls club,” Tatler, September 24, 2020), but the plan was halted in January after the City denied the temporary land-use permit.
Trust member Yusuf Maged said the latest development gave the trust time to finalise its long-term goals for the site, which includes the beneficiaries returning to the site.
“The land has been vacant for years. We are relieved and happy about this short-term agreement. The old bowls club has been demolished and part of the land cleared up. We have had many people approach us over the years for projects on the land, but everything worked out with this partnership,” he said.
Africa Padel started work on the site in July, opened its courts in September and is now building a clubhouse.
Craig Ireland, head of growth and customer engagement at Africa Padel, said the Claremont branch had four courts, open from 6am to 10pm, daily.
“We have over 10 clubs and 35 courts nationally. Our premier offering includes the professional running of the clubs combined with a national coaching academy, national and regional tournaments. We have paid special attention to creating a social environment at all our clubs for both family and friends,” he said.
Communitree project manager Julia September said they had signed a lease in September and were working on finalising the plans for the site and securing a sustainable supply of water and electricity.
The U-turn Communitree Urban Greening Hub is on roughly 2000m² and will have a greenhouse, shade structure, learning centre, indigenous-plant nursery and restaurant.
“We will be selling plants and gardening products, offering urban-greening workshops and training, as well as greening services and packages for the public, private and corporate sectors. We will also have a restaurant on-site,” said Ms September.
Claremont City Improvement District executive manager Abdul Kerbelker welcomed developments at the site.
“We have noticed the state of the site and the urban decay that surrounded this site over the last few years. The padel courts are a wonderful opportunity to add another sporting activity to complement the sporting and heritage precinct, which Claremont is. We are also keen on exploring the heritage possibilities of this site in remembering a Claremont past,” he said.
