Padel courts set for tennis and squash club in Norwich

The East Anglian Tennis and Squash Club in Lime Tree Road will soon be able to offer the rapidly growing sport to city folk.

Under the plans, part of the existing car park will be developed into the courts, which are about half the size of a tennis court and surrounded by tempered glass.

Padel courts are surrounded by tempered glass, which the ball can be hit against (Image: Canva) They will be bookable between 9am and 7pm from Monday to Friday, until 6pm on Saturdays and from 10.30am and 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays. 

However, 26 people raised concerns about the noise hitting the balls onto the glass around the court would create.

One person commented: "As an immediate neighbour to the tennis club, I feel the impact of noise disturbance will be severe to me and my family.

The tennis club currently has five squash courts and 10 tennis courts (Image: Newsquest) "Having done some research on padel court use, I am dismayed to note it has been well documented how invasive the noise from these courts can be.

"This would have a significant detrimental impact on my family's enjoyment of any of our garden activities at all times of the day and evening in the future."

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Another objector said: "We already endure a high level of noise often late into the evening from the tennis players.

"The relentless noise, potentially for many hours every day, will have a markedly detrimental effect on our quality of life."

The courts will be near the entrance to the club and adjacent to Lime Tree Road (Image: FLH Architectural Design) A noise impact assessment was carried out in May in light of these concerns.

While acknowledging that the padel courts would create some sound, the survey concluded that "the development of padel tennis courts should not cause adverse impact upon nearby dwellings with regard to noise".

The club has three years to start the development.

WHAT IS PADEL TENNIS?

Padel is a mix between tennis and squash.

It’s usually played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by walls of glass and metallic mash. The court is one-third of the size of a tennis court.

The ball can bounce off any wall but can only hit the turf once before being returned. Points can be scored when the ball bounces twice in the competitors’ field.

Padel originated in Acapulco in Mexico in 1969 when Enrique Corcuera modified his squash court to incorporate elements of platform tennis. The sport was originally called Paddle Concuera.

In the UK, the number of padel courts increased by 116pc between 2022 and 2023, according to building company Losberger De Boer.

It is one of the fastest-growing sports globally and has grown at around 26pc yearly.