Residents living near a cricket club in Cheshire are objecting to plans for new padel courts, warning the facilities would generate “intolerable” noise and damage property values.
Alderley Edge Cricket Club, founded in 1870, has applied to Cheshire East council for permission to replace one of its 14 tennis courts with three padel courts. The proposals also include floodlighting, new pedestrian paths, and an acoustic fence intended to limit noise.
Padel, a sport combining elements of tennis and squash, is played with solid bats on smaller courts enclosed by glass. It has grown rapidly in popularity across the UK, but its expansion has prompted disputes in several communities.
One resident said the courts’ location close to homes posed a “serious risk” to neighbours. They cited Dutch planning guidelines recommending at least 100 metres between padel courts and housing, and warned that the “high-intensity and social sport” would bring “vociferous” noise from both players and spectators.
Another resident said the facility would cause a “major annoyance and health and wellness issue,” adding that current sounds from the club are largely limited to tennis and cricket. They warned padel would bring “a nearly constant sound increase from morning to evening, filling all the quiet times we enjoy today with reverberating gun-like noise and the shouting of participants.”
Residents also raised concerns about the impact the new courts would have on property prices in Alderley Edge, where the average house costs £723,000. A resident said: “The homes bordering the club represent the largest financial asset for most of the owners. The introduction of padel will likely have a material impact on the value of these properties as it would shift the feel of the neighbourhood from semi-rural to semi-commercial.”
The application has drawn support from Sport England and some club members, who argue that those who chose to live beside a sports ground operating since the 19th century should have expected some level of noise.
A Winchester club received a formal reprimand this year after complaints about “gunshot” noises, while proposals for courts in London’s Olympic Park were paused last month following local opposition.
Cheshire East council is expected to make a decision on the plans soon.
