Neighbours of a fitness club are fighting plans to open new padel courts there, saying the noise will be unbearable.
Hove Fitness Centre wants to install three courts backing onto back gardens in St Heliers Avenue.
The use of similar courts at Withdean Leisure Centre were restricted earlier this year after Brighton and Hove City Council issued a noise abatement order against Freedom Leisure, which runs the centre on the council’s behalf.
The proposed courts at Hove Fitness Centre would be surrounded by glass panels and have canopies overhead so they can be used all year round, and floodlit so they can be used until 9pm seven days a week.
Almost 40 people have commented on the application, most of which are in favour. Unlike most councils, Brighton and Hove City Council redacts commenters details, so it is not possible to say whether any comments have been left by employees or members of the club.
Five neighbours are opposing the plans.
One says: “Padel creates sharp “gun-shot” noise from rackets and glass every few seconds. Around 40 properties would be within 100 metres, which is the commonly recommended distance, with some much closer than that. This is wholly unsuitable for a quiet residential area.
“My children’s bedrooms directly face the site and their bedtime is before 8pm. The thought of continuous sharp noise in the evenings is distressing.
“The park is also home to many birds and small animals, and regular impact noise will inevitably disrupt wildlife in one of the few peaceful green spaces we have.”
“We have a young child and another baby on the way. Proposed hours of 8am to 9pm extend past bedtime, so high-impact noise will continue through the evening, disrupting sleep and affecting our family’s quality of life and wellbeing.”
One of the supporting comments says: “The nimby comments on here are ridiculous. The proposed development will not reduce access to or use of the public space. Instead it will allow a parcel of unused private land to be used as a heathy amenity.
“If well designed and planned developments like this are going to be shot down by neighbours moaning about walking the dog, this city is done!”
The application, written by Padel Plan, says: “The redevelopment of the two existing tennis courts to provide three padel courts represents a more efficient and effective use of the space within the club grounds.
“The current tennis courts have been underutilised in recent years, and their replacement with padel facilities will revitalise this part of the site by providing a popular and growing sport that will attract a wider range of users.”
The noise abatement notice served on Withdean Leisure Centre restricted the use of the courts to 9am to 9pm on weekdays, and 9am to 6pm on weekends.
This council is obsessed with padel courts.
In other countries the padel boom has burst and there are too many courts and demand for them has died down. All I can assume from this council’s obsession is that those leading on decisions have kids who are at an age where they want to give padel a try – I struggle to think of any other reason why a disproportionate amount of council time and money is being ploughed into it all. If only the council looked at using it’s resources more evenly on other pastimes rather than just ploughing money into one sport.
Isn’t Hove Fitness Centre a private venture, and if so, has nothing to do with the council?
The council is only dealing with the application not promoting the site or sport so why are you bashing the council?
I am a resident in St Heliers Avenue and I object to the plan. We were not all asked for our comments by the council at all.
Had we have all been asked the number of objections would have been much higher.
Classic Council gaslighting of the electorate.
You need to mention that the Council run courts in Withdean are far further away from any houses than this proposal is. Yes, this is an application to increase revenue for Hove Fitness without any consideration of the many park users and local residents affected by this. Not everyone in the area has a private garden, so Davis Park is a community amenity for many that will be destroyed by the noise of padel. No longer will it be a quite sanctuary enjoyed by all.
There is strong local opposition to this application by a private club, on several substantial grounds. There is no reasonable case for this noisy development in exceptionally close contact to several houses and further increasing traffic in a frequently congested road.
They are right. Padel is much, much, noisier than tennis!
It is easy for customers of the fitness club to voice their support who are not affected by the negative impact of a new facility. To heck with the neighbours and anyone else who enjoys the peaceful park as long as I get to enjoy smashing padel all day and night.
I think because of the lack of green spaces in this area the tennis court area should be an enlargement of the park next to it. It is having an effect oresidents in that area as we were considering buying a house backing onto the park but not when we found out about the application for padel. Peace and quiet at home is imperative for mental health this is being recklessly denied for a ball game, think again.
Time and again, local residents are treated as collateral damage in the name of sport. Football clubs, schools, and sports centres routinely use their audiences to push planning approvals, ignoring the impact on the people who live nearby. The commercialisation of residential areas brings more noise, traffic, parking problems, and intrusive lighting. The growing obsession with floodlighting also damages local wildlife and disrupts natural habitats.
The mental health argument is repeatedly used to justify these developments, yet it frames the wellbeing of those who use the facilities for short bursts as more important than the constant impact on residents who live beside them. Mental health matters for everyone, including the communities forced to endure the consequences day and night.
If floodlighting is required, then these activities clearly aren’t aimed at children. Adults wanting evening access should be encouraged to use purpose-built sports centres located away from residential areas, where their enjoyment doesn’t come at the expense of others. Sport is valuable, but not when it undermines the wellbeing and environment of the communities around it.
I live opposite the new Padel courts in Hove, as part of Hove Beach Park.
I’m always amazed at how busy they are, compared to the conventional tennis courts.
But I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any noise coming from there.
You have one of the biggest and busiest roads in the city separating you from them. It would take a pneumatic drill to be heard at that distance above the noise of 4 lanes of traffic!
Don’t let them do it! I play Tennis and our club has padel courts, mostly frequented by men… sadly with no manners or courtesy to other club members as the foul language, bats being hit against the glass in frustration and the general noise that echoes from the glass enclosure is disruptive and quite annoying!!!! I would fight against it as I’m about to move into the area. Thanks B
Padel is incredibly popular and going to get bigger so having more courts makes sense. The current ones are hugely in demand.
Noise objections? I’m surprised that people argue that with a straight face. What’s your real objection? House prices? Other people?
91 decibels average noise from padel courts. You can measure it at Hove Beach ones, which is far further from housing than this proposal. Like listening to constant hammering 13 hours a day, 7 days a week. That is the concern for everyone who uses this park and lives around it.
The tennis courts have been there for years Padel is not much different – being surrounded by glass should make it quieter than tennis. As for some comments – that site IS a purpose-built sports centre
The glass walls amplify the sound, creating ricochets. Padel is with hard bats, tennis with strings. All in it is a much much noiser sport which many European countries recognise and insist on locating courts at least 100m from housing – as Brighton council did in Withdean
The glass walls amplify the sound, creating ricochets. Padel is with hard bats, tennis with strings. All in it is a much much noiser sport which many European countries recognise and insist on locating courts at least 100m from housing – as Brighton council did in Withdean