Padel court plan on green belt site faces opposition

Two applications for eight courts in total will be discussed at a planning meeting this week

Plans for four padel courts in a Surrey field could be rejected amid concern about their location in the green belt.

Two applications will be discussed at a planning meeting at Guildford Borough Council on Wednesday.

One application is for four uncovered padel courts, and the other is for two covered and two uncovered courts, on land behind a cottage in Eashing Lane, Milford.

Plans for the land near Godalming also include a reception building, two portacabins for toilets and showers, vehicle access and car parking.

Padel, a combination of tennis and squash played in doubles, is a fast-growing sport with new courts opening across the county.

Mole Valley District Council last month granted permission for six courts to be built under a dome next to Leatherhead leisure centre.

Guildford's planning officers are recommending the applications be refused because of the harm caused to the green belt and due to the setting in an area of great landscape value.

They said the plans would "have a detrimental visual impact on the character of the area", that external lighting would impact on the "dark skies" in the area and may impact on wildlife.

The field is currently used by the occupants of Meadow Barn Cottage and has football goal posts, according to the officers' report.

The applications have together received over 400 letters of support.