Basingstoke padel courts built without planning permission

Cllr Arun Mummalaneni, who represents Brookvale and Kings Furlong on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said the case risked undermining public confidence in the planning system and contributing to a “build first, ask later” culture.

The padel facility, marketed as Padel People Basingstoke, comprises outdoor courts next to Basingstoke railway station at Victory Hill, Winterthur Way, and is advertised as being open daily from around 6am until 11pm.

Cllr Mummalaneni said the borough council’s planning enforcement team had confirmed that the business responsible intends to submit a retrospective planning application, indicating that the courts and associated floodlighting were installed and brought into use before permission was in place.

Outside Padel People (Image: Google Street View)

Cllr Mummalaneni said it was “deeply concerning” that a development involving permanent sports infrastructure and floodlighting had gone ahead without approval, and questioned whether proper checks had been carried out or whether planning rules had been disregarded altogether.

Business owner's response

Padel People says the floodlights at the Victory Hill padel courts were already on site when the company took over the location, and that the courts themselves are portable structures requiring no groundworks.

Co‑founder George Sandbach said the firm is “in the middle of submitting [a] retrospective planning application and working with the officer to get this in”, and argued the site is next to a “busy and loud train station” with “no residents nearby”.

He said Padel People provides “affordable padel in Basingstoke and the cheapest in the area”, with discounted play for the neighbouring office block and free or reduced‑rate sessions for schools, children and people with special educational needs. Padel People’s website also promotes its focus on “affordable padel for players of all ages and skill levels”.

Mr Sandbach added: "Until Councillor Arun Mummalaneni has reported this, we haven’t had any complaints in the 19 months we’ve been open.

"We’ve had circa 5000 people play at our venue with schools using the courts many times, some regular slots for kids to play padel at discounted rates and we’ve got people into padel from playing no sport at all. We also have free sessions for SEN schools."

The councillor also raised wider concerns about how such schemes are monitored, warning that allowing developments of this scale to reach completion without early intervention could damage public trust in the planning system.

The councillor said local residents may be affected by the new courts through noise, increased activity and light pollution, and argued that these issues should have been carefully assessed before any work took place.

Cllr Arun Mummalaneni (Image: Cllr Arun Mummalaneni)

He warned that while retrospective planning applications have a role, they must not become a routine fallback for developments that bypass the proper process, saying this would be unfair on neighbours and on developers who follow the rules.

Cllr Mummalaneni said he would continue to press for clarity on how the situation at Victory Hill arose, what enforcement action is being considered, and what safeguards can be introduced to prevent similar cases in future.

He added that it was vital for the planning system to be applied “consistently, transparently and fairly” to protect both residents and the integrity of the local environment.

A spokesperson for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council said: "Planning permission should have been in place before work began to convert the former tennis courts at Victory Hill into padel courts with associated lighting.

"The site’s operator has been informed that this is a breach of planning rules and we are now expecting a retrospective planning application. We may consider enforcement action if this is not submitted within a reasonable period.

"Development requiring planning permission but carried out without it is undertaken at the developer’s own risk. While national legislation allows developers to submit retrospective applications, enforcement is likely to be pursued if permission is refused.

"There is no practical way to monitor every development across the borough and some work can take place under permitted development rights. Reports from local communities are therefore invaluable in helping us to identify and investigate potential breaches. Concerns can be reported at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/planning-enforcement."