Rotherham padel courts approved with conditions after noise dispute

Rotherham councillors approved three enclosed padel courts at Upper Haugh Cricket Club, but only after attaching a condition that leaves opening hours unresolved and could send the scheme back for another hearing if no agreement is reached. The vote on planning reference RB2025/1576 came at the Rotherham Council planning board meeting on 25 June 2026.

The scheme for Harding Avenue, Rawmarsh, next to Wentworth Road, was cut down from an earlier four-court plan to three courts with acoustic mitigation, floodlighting and lighting columns. The application set opening hours of 8am to 9pm throughout the week and was submitted on 3 December 2025 before being validated on 20 January 2026. The original version, if approved as submitted, could have operated for 4,750 hours a year.

Planning officers urged refusal because of the noise impact on nearby homes. Rotherham Council Environmental Health warned the disturbance would be intrusive, especially in the evenings. One environmental health officer who visited padel courts in Wakefield compared the sound to gunfire, while another assessment likened it to clay pigeon shooting. The board had already delayed the decision once so experts could answer councillors’ questions before the final vote.

The consultation drew 115 public representations, split broadly evenly between support and objections. Both the cricket club and local residents submitted petitions. Neighbours feared a shift from seasonal cricket use to near-daily activity on the club site.

Upper Haugh Cricket Club argued the development would bring community benefit and income to help secure its future, with the club facing financial pressures. The courts would help turn the venue into a viable year-round operation, while residents raised concerns about the move from cricket’s limited seasonal calendar to seven-days-a-week padel use.