Padel courts plan approved despite 'eyesore' concerns

A tennis club's bid to add canopy covers to its padel courts has been approved, despite concerns it will be a "hideous eyesore".

East Gloucestershire Club will also be able to install floodlights and build more padel courts after Cheltenham Borough Council approved the plans.

Neighbouring Cheltenham Croquet Club said the covers were "an enormous structure having no architectural merit".

But Andrea Butland, chair of the East Gloucestershire Club, said they were essential for high level competition as rain makes play difficult.

One of the grass tennis courts will be removed to make way for four new padel courts, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

There were more than 90 objections lodged against the proposals while more than 110 people wrote in support.

John Gilden, secretary of Cheltenham Croquet Club, said in the council meeting on 19 December the proposal would also "obscure the view from our club towards the Cotswold escarpment".

He said both clubs had been amicable neighbours for more than a 100 years and their concerns were about more than just the introduction of a "hideous eyesore".

Mr Gilden explained their main worry was the structure on the boundary between both clubs, which is about 8.5m [28ft] high and 24m [79ft] long.

"That is more than the height of a two storey house and more than the width of two houses," he said.

"The footprint is 36m [118ft] by 24m [79ft]. More than three times that of a double tennis court."

Mr Gilden added that the plans eroded the vistas in the conservation area and towards the Cotswolds.

Ms Butland said they had amended their plans and had only received one complaint from neighbours about padel playing.

"The canopy will reduce the noise from the existing courts and the new courts in the centre of the site are further away from our neighbours and we have added acoustic barriers," she said.

During the debate, councillors Simon Wheeler and Frank Allen said the scheme's benefits outweighed the negatives.

It was approved by councillors by fives votes to four, with one abstention.

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