Four new padel courts could be coming to Angmering, according to recently submitted plans.
Padel is a raquet sport played on an enclosed court. It uses the same scoring system as tennis but the court’s walls can be played off, like squash. Roughly three padel courts can fit in the same space used by one tennis court, due to it not needing spaces to the side of the court and the playing area being smaller.
The plans are for Worthing Rugby Club, in Roundstone Lane, Angmering, and would see four padel courts built on the north side of the club’s car park and part of the eastern rugby pitch. The plans also include a two-metre high chain-link fence enclosing the courts, as well as six-metre tall floodlights to light them at night.
Plans were submitted to Arun District Council on July 29 by Padel Projects UK, which announced in January this year its ambition to become the leading padel tennis group in the UK by building 1,000 new courts. A decision is to be made on the plans by the council by September 23 this year.
The rugby club said the parking area was not ‘fully utilised’, meaning the reduction in spaces from 110 to 82 would not negatively affect the parking available, according to architects Factor 9 Design.
They said the aim was to provide an ‘additional offering’ in order to benefit the club and residents.
They added they were seeking to work with the council and the club to target ‘specific groups’ in need of ‘access to sports’, listing girls aged 14 to 18 and disability groups as two they would look at.
If plans are approved and the courts opened, Factor 9 said: “Padel tennis will be open to children and adults, adults will be able to attend day and evening classes and social sessions Monday to Sunday. Children will be offered after-school classes, holiday camps and access via schools. This will be offered on a no membership policy – so sports open to all, on a pay-and-play basis.”
Two letters of objection and one letter of support have been submitted by residents in response to plans so far.
Objectors raised concerns around the reduction in parking, saying it could increase congestion in surrounding areas with parking spilling out of the car park, and could reduce access to the site for emergency vehicles.
The one letter of support, from a resident of Roundstone Lane, said the plans could add to the ‘amenities’ of the town and there was already plenty of parking on and around the site.
Plans also include the minimum ten per cent biodiversity net gain required by the council, with 457 square metres of lawn to be replaced by an ‘area of planting’ to the north of the courts.
