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Padel Courts on Common Land

So Rocks Lane Padel is seeking approval for two changes at the facility on Chiswick Back Common.  There is in fact rather more to this story than would appear at first glance. What is being proposed: - the permanent retention of protective vinyl panels on the western padel courts, and the extension of operational hours for floodlights.from 7:00am to 11:00pm daily. (Currently, lighting is officially permitted only between 8:00am and 10:00pm on weekdays and 8:00am until 9:00pm on weekends)What the report doesn’t say is that Rocks Lane already been operating in this way since 2022 even though that is not permitted by the terms of their 2004 agreement with Hounslow or allowed by terms of their existing planning permission. The application they have made would appear to be a retrospective one to “fix” that.  It is unclear whether the 2004 agreement with Hounslow has been or is intended to be amended. The vinyl panels have been in place since 2022 and although they are retractable they have in fact never ever been retracted during that time.  They are pretty unsightly and Rock Lane have recently applied to put in even more. If this was a private facility, on private land, with private parking facilities and well screened from public view it might be argued that Mr Warren was entitled to create a high price private club for members who were happy to travel long distances and pay such high prices.  The last known figure that Hounslow Council was receiving as a “use fee” was just £2000 per year.  But this is all happening on Chiswick Back Common which is Common Land which is there as a public amenity and as clearly stated in the 2004 agreement as community facility for local people and intended to be at affordable prices.  The agreement emphasised the requirement to be good neighbours.  Common land should is not generally supposed to have permanent buildings on it - the whole point is that they are supposed to be preserved as Open Spaces.  The clue is in the name. In the event that Common Land does get built on - this should only happen with consent from the Secretary of State with the Open  Spaces Society being a statutory consultee.  None of this appears to have happened or is this being proposed for either the existing constructions or for the proposed constructions.  Most of the space at Rocks Lane Chiswick can now only be used for padel which while it is an enjoyable and increasingly popular sport is impacting other popular but more accessible sports such as football, netball and tennis which also have more flexible spaces. But they are of course less profitable than the padel courts which are being hired out at between `£57 and £64 per hour. Is this the right way to go for an important area of Common land?

Jackie Elton ● 2d11 Comments ● 4h