Bell Cornwell recently obtained planning permission for a proposed padel tennis court – Mode Club
Client
Mode Club
Project Overview
Planning permission granted to install two new padel tennis courts for Mode Club on Bromyard Avenue in Acton.
Padel Tennis Court - Mode Club
The proposal would replace two existing tennis courts with the new padel facilities as part of a large investment and refurbishment project at the site.
Padel is a fast-growing racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. Courts are smaller than in tennis and are enclosed by walls. The new padel courts would each measure approximately 20 metres by 10 metres in size. They would have reinforced plastic and mesh walls up to 4 metres high with LED floodlighting requiring 8 columns at 5 metres height.
The Mode Club site covers around 3.8 hectares and is bounded by residential areas and green spaces like allotments and a cricket ground. It falls within Metropolitan Open Land, which has protections similar to Green Belt. However, appropriate outdoor sports facilities can be acceptable if they preserve openness and do not conflict with the purposes of the designation.
In this case, the padel courts are considered to be an appropriate replacement for the existing tennis courts in the same location. The scale, appearance, and spatial impacts are judged to be in keeping with the site’s leisure and sports character. Conditions can control lighting impacts.
Noise levels from padel are expected to be comparable to tennis based on assessments. At over 70 metres from the nearest homes, any differences in noise are unlikely to be significant given the context of an established sports/leisure site.
No concerns were raised regarding design, highways, parking, biodiversity, or other impacts. Overall, officers concluded the padel court proposal is an appropriate form of development that retains the site’s leisure use. The approved scheme will enhance sports amenities at Mode Club in Acton.
Our expertise in regard to the London planning system was key to us getting this successful result for our client.
If you have any special projects lined up that you need planning assistance with, contact us to see where we can help you.
