Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Noise from a proposed padel court is expected to upset its Dorchester neighbours.
The proposal could yet be scuppered by the outcome of an environmental health report which has been called for.
Plans for the outdoor court were submitted on behalf of Dorchester Tennis and Squash Club at its Sawmills Lane site off Weymouth Avenue.
Dorchester councillors heard that the court’s nearest neighbours living across the railway embankment fear it would disturb them in their gardens and homes.
Cllr Robin Potter told a town planning meeting that he had been told by some of the residents that while they were happy to tolerate the noise from the club when tennis was being played, the noise from a padel ball being hit was much more intense and the noise likely to spread further.
The meeting heard that other applications for padel courts elsewhere in the county had been turned down because of the noise impact.
Cllr Fiona Kent-Ledger claimed that players at the nearest courts to Dorchester, on the former Poole park and ride site, were issued with ear defenders when they played because of the noise.
She revealed that talks had been held about other possible sites for a padel court in the town, near the YMCA hall on Sawmills Lane and at St Osmund’s, but neither had proceeded to the planning stage.
She and other councillors sympathised with residents and will await an environmental health report commissioned by Dorset Council.
“It’s difficult. This is a popular club with a good youth programme … until we get an assurance on the noise it would be wrong to throw it out of court,” she said.
Cllr Molly Rennie said experts should assess whether padel noise would travel over the embankment to homes in Eldridge Close.
Committee chair Cllr Ralph Ricardo said the time of day should also be considered: “It might be better if this is done by the squash and tennis club, rather than anyone else, but there’s a lot of difference in the impact of a ball being hit at 10am and 10pm,” he said.
