Blackheath could see padel club on former tennis ground
Plans are in to build padel courts and a new clubhouse on former tennis courts in Blackheath.
Padium seek to build eight courts alongside parking. They operate other sites including Canary Wharf.
According to the Design and Access Statement, the site in Cator Estate contained four tennis courts, a former pavilion at the southwest corner of the site which was destroyed by fire
damage and been derelict for 15 years.
The site’s clubhouse will be a low-rise, timber affair with substantial glazing.
In 2018 plans were approved for a bowling green but not enacted.
Independent sites can only continue with the support of readers.
You can support me via Paypal here
There's the Ko-fi option to buy me a coffee
Many thanks
You can also support the site by adding the Murky Depths as a trusted source in Google here
There's also a Facebook page for the site here
This is hilarious. People now making videos of objections. Not sure if I can links to Vimeo site here so not going to try.
Was not aware that this site is not actually part of Cator Estate. Some folks are going full NIMBY.
Noise ? Traffic ? Suitablity of the site ? Sustainablity ? Generating 185,000 car journeys a year ? Insufficient parking provision ?
NIMBY … how about … BITRP [build in the right place ?]
I thought that land belonged to Blackheath High School? That’s their playing fields isn’t it?
Anyway, 185k sounds like a lot of traffic. Is that number from the planning application? There are a lot of docs uploaded so didn’t examine carefully.
@chris – it is the small patch of derelict land next to the playing field. It used to be a tennis field and is therefore designed for such land use.
The bowling club tried to move there but didn’t succeed.
185k sounds a lot but 16 cars an hour doesn’t. And that is if no one carpools, no locals play, no one cycles, takes public transport,and the place is booked for every single court for every single day.
If the nimby were genuine and as they say, they would just be opposed to bad developments. So in that case surely they wouldn’t object the new development next to the train station so that fewer people will take their car to the padel court.
Note parking provision is sufficient, 17 places for 8 courts.
Noise concerns is the only argument I have sympathy with, some houses are quite close
Hello Gwst
What numbers to you use to say that 17 spaces are enough ?
If 8 courts are in use – thats 4 player per court = 32 players [per hour]
Then, there are 32 players getting ready to play in the next hour = 64 players on site
Plus, maybe 16 who have played & are staying for a drink & social
And say, 3 staff
That’s 83 people
The submitted plan acknowledges that the site has a zero PTAL score [no public transport .. 20 minutes walk to the nearest bus or train] and the plan states that 65% of the journeys will be by car.
Based on the numbers the application is supported by – that means there will be times when 54 parking spots are needed.
And there are 18 on site [including the access space]
Where do the other 36 cars go ?
Re journeys
185,000 is only one way
It’s nearer 400,00 including staff & support traffic
I’d be massively in favour of a development at a transport hub .. like Lewisham or Kidbrooke
Or maybe at Canary Wharf
🙂
ps.
Have you ever been to Blackheath Sports Club [Rectory Field] in summer when the courts and cricket are busy .. It’s like Picadilly Circus at rush hour
Note there is one at Canary wharf, from the same company.
Anyway, your math is like that of a crypto startup, you can’t double count everything twice. If they have half a brain they stagger the court times which solves the overstaying and arriving early issue. Then with 21 cars (less than 1 vehicle per minute) 3 would have to be accommodated on the cator estate during peak hour. I think it will survive.
You keep mentioning this lack of transport but we all know it is just 14 min walk to the station.
Anyway i assume it is for comedic effect. I don’t see these arguments being made about the bowling club(0 parking?) the church (100+ capacity? Millions of car journeys!), the conservatoire (10kids per room, x5-10 classes plus cafe x 10 hours) or the Gails (gazillion car journeys)
Thanks Gwst, that’s interesting info.
Agree that some of the immediate neighbours are going to feel an impact with this, though I could see it being a good thing once the shock fades.
Hello Chirs,
The application is soo detailed and so attuned to local needs & information that it does not even set out the site location properly !
The site they own and are developing does not share a boundary with Blackheath High, playing fields !
It never has and never will
Regards