Mid Sussex District Council has turned down plans to convert derelict tennis courts in Haywards Heath into a temporary padel facility, citing inadequate evidence on noise impacts. The decision followed significant opposition from residents worried about disturbance in a quiet area, despite support from others who saw benefits for the community. The proposal aimed to introduce the growing racket sport to the site at St Francis Sports and Social Club.
The council's refusal highlights tensions between promoting sports development and protecting residential amenity. The derelict tennis courts at St Francis Sports and Social Club have been described as a 'decrepit' eyesore, prompting the application to transform them into padel courts. Padel, a sport blending elements of tennis and squash played as doubles on an enclosed court, has seen rising popularity in the region, with recent approvals for four courts at a Chichester industrial estate and proposals for six more at Plumpton Racecourse.
Public response was divided: 125 letters supported the scheme, arguing it would replace the disused site with modern facilities and invigorate the local area. One supporter noted it would be 'great' for the community. However, 104 objections focused on potential noise issues, describing the ball-on-racket impacts as a repetitive 'gunshot' sound more frequent than in tennis. Residents expressed fears of severe disturbance in the quiet residential location, along with increased traffic, street parking, and light pollution from proposed 8-metre floodlights.
Council officers emphasized the absence of a crucial noise assessment, creating a 'gap in understanding how intrusive the padel impacts may be.' They concluded that the applicant failed to demonstrate the courts would not harm neighbors' quality of life, and any public benefits did not justify the risks to local amenity. The decision underscores the challenges of introducing noisier sports in built-up areas without robust mitigation evidence.