Surrey lawn tennis club's padel plans spark objections

A Surrey tennis club's plans for new buildings and courts for the racquet sport padel have been met with objections from residents in Weybridge.

The planned buildings would be in an exclusive housing development, but one objector said they "would not be out of place on an industrial estate".

St George's Hill Lawn Tennis Club wants to build a new gym, three padel courts and a new groundskeeper's building.

Elmbridge council's planning committee will look at the proposals on Tuesday.

Meeting documents described the St George's Hill estate as an "exclusive" development, which had been home to Beatles members John Lennon and Ringo Starr, and singer Tom Jones, with access only allowed for residents and visitors to the club.

But one objection said the "crinkly tin sheds" proposed by the club "would not be out of place in Oyster Lane or the Hersham Trading estate", while others were in favour of meeting public demand for padel, which is a fast-growing sport.

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