Padel courts at a picturesque New Forest golf club may have to be demolished after the local authority refused a retrospective planning application.
Hamptworth Golf and Country Club, situated between Salisbury and Southampton, completed construction of a 37m wide canopy over its two padel courts in the winter without submitting a planning application to the New Forest National Park Authority. The club also added three uncovered pickleball courts to its original two.
An enforcement notice was issued to the golf club over the courts in February and now the club’s retrospective planning application for the unauthorised development has been refused.
The New Forest National Park Authority’s enforcement notice highlighted that the “extension of sports courts… including the alteration of land levels and associated drainage works; erection of flood lighting, enclosures, fencing, and roof structure” were all completed without planning permission.
All of the above were ordered to be removed within six months of the notice taking effect, which is on 1 June — unless the club launches an appeal. If any appeal fails or is not lodged, all structures must be removed and the site restored to its former condition.
Planning officers ruled the building caused “detrimental and harmful” damage to the “protected landscape’s character and tranquility” introducing excessive development into the National Park.
Additionally, the notice said the development “does not enhance the landscape of the New Forest through high quality design and responding to the local distinctiveness of the area.”
The order also said it does not minimise external lighting, lies within 70 metres of priority habitat alongside bat commuting corridors, fails to avoid impacts on biodiversity and does not recognise the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside.
Wiltshire County Council’s flood authority also objected due to “incorrect and insufficient information” about drainage works to the nearby River Blackwater.
Planning officers also found that the development could not be considered a “limited extension” of the golf club as the padel and tennis courts offered a “completely unrelated, diversified provision” that could operate independently of the golf course.
In response, the club (as reported by The Salisbury Journal) said the padel and pickleball facility employs 24 people and serves as an important local amenity.
The club said: “Significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth through the planning system, especially for an existing established business which is only aiming to improve and evolve with modern needs.”
More on padel and planning permission…
Read more: Five top tips for securing planning permission for padel courts
Read more: How to set up padel courts in the UK — a legal guide
Read more: Has Bath really ‘banned padel?’ We get the real story
Read more: New research creates model for measuring padel noise
