Controversy grips David Lloyd Hampton over planned padel court expansion
Padel wars have landed in West Twickenham, with plans to build new courts at David Lloyd Hampton being met by strong local opposition.
David Lloyd say they are at the forefront of this “tennis revolution” in the UK and are now proposing all of their new clubs to be provided with premium padel facilities.
Fourteen objections have been made to Richmond Council, with many complaining about noise pollution, a loss of tennis facilities and parking space.
David Lloyd’s tennis players reject padel plans
Andy Hopkinson, captain of the tennis first-team and a long-standing member of David Lloyd, is opposed to the proposal as members will lose close to a third of their tennis courts.
“We have fundamental concerns about the way the application has been shaped because it’s going to have a very detrimental effect on those people who play tennis,” he said.
“The application caught us all by surprise as there was no dialogue with the membership at all.
“There are also lots of tennis coaches across all age ranges. What will happen to them? Which of them do you let go? Tennis has been important to the club since it was opened, David Lloyd himself being an ex-Davis Cup British player.”
He told the Sports Gazette that planning permission was going to conclude around February 7, but there was a delay in the planning portal, ensuring people could not respond to it.
Question marks over Noise Impact Assessment
A Noise Impact Assessment was carried out on February 19 and the concluded there was no expected noticeable or observable impact on the environment.
Hampton Heath Friends, a volunteer community group, are critical of the Noise Impact Assessment in their response, which they say entirely ignores a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) immediately adjacent to the club.
They highlight that no assessment has been made of the impacts of noise on public receptors within publicly accessible areas of Metropolitan Open Land, principally, Hampton Heath or the London Loop recreational footpath.
What concerns them even more is the lack of noise assessment on the SINC, which is home to a range of wildlife, including wildfowl, birds and protected bats.
No reference has been made of the ecological impact of noise and no ecologist has been consulted on the issue. Frequent noise disturbance is a well-documented factor in the abandonment of many nature sites by species recorded currently using the SINC – especially birds.
Christophe Blanc is one of the 14 objectors to the proposal, who claims that the project has been prepared in secrecy, is rushed and ill conceived.
He said: “The noise generated by padel courts is extremely disturbing, especially so close to a swimming pool and children’s playground.
“The club is already oversubscribed with huge and dangerous car park issues, so attracting new members is not right.”
Indeed, the Sports Gazette travelled to David Lloyd Hampton at 10.30am, a quiet off-peak time, and found the car park was already heaving.
Some David Lloyd members support padel proposal
However, Kevin Cavilla, a local resident, is in support of the proposal and believes the padel courts represent a fantastic opportunity to enhance the club’s facilities.
He said: “The argument that introducing padel courts would generate noise akin to gunshots or disturb wildlife and dark skies seems unfounded.
“The sound of a golfer teeing off from the first hole—located less than 20 meters from residential homes—is far more likely to resemble a gunshot.
“As a member of David Lloyd Hampton, I have reviewed the current outdoor court usage, and it’s clear that these courts are underutilised.”
He claims that all nine outdoor courts were available at 4pm at the time of writing with plenty of availability throughout the afternoon and evening that week.
Several members who play tennis regularly at the club dispute this, highlighting how difficult it is to book a court during peak hours.
Another club member, Hamzah Anwar, thinks the padel courts will attract a new crowd and that tennis is primarily for an older demographic.
Spain is the epicentre of padel and in November 2024 were reported to have 15,000 courts and 2,500 clubs, with an estimated 6 million active players nationwide.
By contrast, the United Kingdom features over 400 courts and 100 facilities but is growing significantly, with the Lawn Tennis Association’s endorsement in 2020 accelerating the sport.
While this is a local issue, the internet is rife with opposition to courts being built nationwide, meaning padel wars is truly gripping the country.
