Falmouth Sports Club has submitted a planning application to construct two open-air padel courts on its grounds off Western Terrace. The proposal aims to expand sports options for members and the community by adding the fast-growing racket sport. The application follows a recent approval for similar facilities at a nearby cricket club.
Falmouth Sports Club, which currently provides tennis, squash, racketball, pickleball, gym, and clubhouse facilities, describes the addition of padel as a logical extension to its offerings. Padel, often characterized as a mix of tennis and squash, would occupy an underused lawn area behind the clubhouse, adjacent to the existing tennis courts and squash building.
The proposed courts would span a combined 500 square meters, with each measuring 10 meters by 20 meters. Key features include 4-meter-high perimeter fencing, 12mm clear toughened glass panels at the ends, powder-coated steel posts, mesh fencing, and an artificial turf surface. Low-energy LED floodlights on 6-meter posts, integrated with the fencing, are planned, though the club notes that existing floodlights for the tennis courts would limit any additional light impact.
Access for pedestrians would utilize current routes within the grounds, featuring level entry to promote inclusivity. No alterations to parking or vehicle access are suggested. Given the site's location in a Critical Drainage Area, the application incorporates a flood risk assessment, emphasizing the use of permeable surfaces to preserve natural drainage and runoff rates.
This initiative comes shortly after Cornwall Council approved an application by Padel Tide Ltd for two covered padel courts at Falmouth Cricket Club. The club argues that the new courts support the Cornwall Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework by fostering health, wellbeing, and sustainable leisure. The application awaits review by Cornwall Council.