Padel courts approved despite noise concerns

The application for three new padel courts was approved

Plans for three padel courts at a tennis club in the middle of an exclusive housing development have been approved.

Some residents objected to the plans in the "beautiful residential area", raising concerns about the noise of the sport.

The new semi-enclosed courts at St George’s Hill Tennis Club, Weybridge were approved by Elmbridge Borough Council by eight votes to five on Tuesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The application was due to be decided in October, but was withdrawn from the planning committee's agenda due to neighbours submitting their own noise impact reports.

Almost 100 people wrote in support of the application with many citing the benefits the new courts would bring to Weybridge and the borough as a whole.

Some called padel “the sport of the future” and “inclusive” for all the family.

An officers' report ahead of Tuesday's decision said padel tennis was "inherently noisier" than tennis due to the shorter court size and the type of racquet used.

The meeting was told by officers the average noise from the padel courts would be between 23 and 43 decibels, and that light rain or a refrigerator hum was around 45 decibels.

Justine Errington, a neighbour, said: “Padel has no place in this beautiful residential area.”

Representing a group of residents, she told the committee she was objecting against the “rowdy participation” of the sport for 15 hours a day, 360 days a year.