Plans to refurbish Odd Down Sports Ground in Bath have been approved by the local council after proposals for padel courts were removed. The project includes a pavilion extension for a gym, a mini cycle track, and improved lighting for the 3G pitch. The decision follows earlier rejections due to concerns over noise from the emerging sport.
Bath and North East Somerset Council has granted planning permission for a major refurbishment of Odd Down Sports Ground, located in the city. The approval, issued by the council's planning officers in January 2026, comes after the removal of plans to build the city's first padel courts on the site.
The original proposal, submitted in 2024, included padel courts but was refused by the planning committee in June of that year. Committee members cited the sport's noise—described as akin to "Chinese water torture"—as a disturbance for nearby residents. Padel, originating from Mexico and similar to squash but played with solid rackets, has surged in popularity since the Covid-19 lockdown, becoming one of the fastest-growing sports globally. However, Bath has yet to host facilities for it, with previous attempts blocked.
In the revised plans, now approved, the focus shifts to community enhancements: an extension to the existing pavilion to include a gym, a mini cycle track for young users, and upgraded lighting for the all-weather 3G pitch. A dotted line on the site layout marks an "area for future padel provision," with the council indicating a separate application will be submitted later to revisit the courts.
This is not the first setback for padel in Bath. Later in 2024, the committee rejected a proposal for courts at Lansdown Tennis Club, calling the sound "gunfire-like" and harmful to neighbors' mental health; that decision stood on appeal. Meanwhile, the University of Bath has proposed two padel courts as part of a large student accommodation project for 962 residents, potentially paving the way for the sport's debut in the city.
The refurbishment aims to boost local sports access, addressing long-standing needs at the community ground managed by the council.