By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Plans to refurbish a Bath sports ground have finally been approved — after plans to build the city’s first padel courts there were dropped.
Odd Down Sports Ground is set to get an extension to the pavilion for a gym, a mini cycle track, and better lighting for the 3G pitch as part of a major refurbishment by Bath and North East Somerset Council. The plans received planning permission from the council’s planning officers this month, but only after proposed new padel courts were removed from the plans.
The council’s original plans had been refused planning permission by its own planning committee in June 2024 due to the inclusion of padel courts. Padel is a sport similar to squash but plated with a solid racquet. The planning committee said the sound of the game would be like “Chinese water torture” for neighbours and blocked the plans.
The revised plans which have now received planning permission do not include padel courts. Instead, plans show a dotted line around an “area for future padel provision.” The application said that a separate planning application would be submitted in the future to try once again to get the padel courts approved.
Originally from Mexico, the sport has boomed in popularity since the Covid-19 lockdown and is one of the fastest growing sports. But there is nowhere to play the sport in Bath, as each proposal to build padel courts has been turned down by the planning committee.
Later in 2024, the committee blocked a different application to build padel courts, this time at the Lansdown Tennis Club. The committee said the “gunfire-like” noise of the game would harm the mental health of neighbours, a decision which was upheld on appeal.
The city’s first padel courts could now be at the University of Bath. The university has included proposals to build two padel courts as part of major plans for a huge student accommodation development for 962 students at its campus.
Bath Voice and Local Democracy Reporters
The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment, but are employed by regional news organisations. A total of 165 reporters are allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Bath Voice. These organisations range from television and radio stations to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
Bath Voice Monthly Newspaper is distributed free to thousands of homes and some supermarkets – distributed from the first of the month. Harry Mottram is the News Editor
Email him at news@bathvoice.co.uk Bath website: https://bathvoice.co.uk/news/
Bath Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/bdtf2kep Also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bath_voice And Bluesky @bathvoicenews.bsky.social And also on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/harrymottram6/
Read the newspaper online at :https://issuu.com/bathvoice
To advertise to thousands of Bathonians call Shaun on 07540 383870 or email him on sales@bathvoice.co.uk