NEIGHBOURS and nature lovers are calling on Bristol City Council to order padel courts put up at the David Lloyd club in Westbury without permission to be removed.
The leisure group installed the two courts on a former tennis court at its club in Greystoke Avenue in December, initially believing that planning consent was not needed as padel is a short form of tennis.
Its planning consultants Lichfields then advised that a retrospective planning application should be made to the council for the changes, which include artificial turf, hard glass walls, high floodlighting, and an outdoor bar and social area.
Members of the Friends of Badock’s Wood are now calling on planners to refuse the planning application for a floodlit outdoor padel courts and associated social area that they say would impact negatively on the nature reserve.
Dozens of local people have put in objections to the council, which has also received some statements of support from members of the private club.
The David Lloyd site is next to Badock’s Wood in Southmead, most of which is a designated Local Nature Reserve.
The Friends say the padel development is unacceptable in a wildlife corridor next to a nature reserve and will adversely impact on Badock’s Wood, causing light and noise pollution as well as water pollution to the river Trym.
They fear the impact on moths, bats, owls and night time mammals as well as on the people who enjoy the nature reserve.
Linda Wilson, chair of the Friends, said: “This proposal shows no recognition of its climate and ecological impacts and we are totally opposed to it. Their [David Lloyd’s] ecological appraisal, which has only recently been undertaken months after the work was done and long after the application was submitted, is poor quality.
“Badock’s Wood is a very special site not only for local people but also for the whole of Bristol, and should not be being damaged by one private club. It is a free to use, popular site used by hundreds of people every day. It is very important as an urban wildlife site and is home to nocturnal mammals and the nocturnal species they live on.”
The Friends want the matter to be considered by a city council planning committee. Councillor Kye Dudd has “called in” the application in the hope that this can happen.
The Voice reported in February that plans from David Lloyd for a spa building extension and garden had sparked similar opposition. The club has withdrawn this plan.
In their submission to the council about the padel courts plan, Lichfields say it makes better use of an under utilised part of the club site, enhancing the facilities in response to demand from members.