Councillors refused the padel court at The Retreat, Elcot Park, on noise and road grounds on 21 October. The hotel can appeal or try again with a new plan.

West Berkshire councillors have refused permission for the padel court at The Retreat hotel in Elcot, about five miles west of Newbury. The court was built last November without planning permission.

The Western Area Planning Committee voted on Wednesday evening to follow its officers’ advice and refuse the application on all three grounds they gave. The vote was split and was taken on a show of hands, which can be seen on the council’s webcast of the meeting. The minutes will give the count.

It is the second padel scheme at the hotel to be turned down. Two covered courts in its walled garden were refused in May 2025.

Why it was refused

The hotel had asked for temporary permission for 24 months, application 26/00403/FUL. The officer report sets out three reasons for refusal:

  • Noise. The council’s Environmental Health team said the hotel’s noise study took no measurements at the nearest homes. It also said the study relied on averaged levels that hide the “sharp, distinct and impulsive” sound of padel. A 3-metre acoustic fence offered later came with a product datasheet, not a site assessment.
  • Road safety. The court is reached by a narrow, unnamed lane from the A4 with few passing places. Highways officers said the hotel had not shown the lane could take the extra traffic.
  • Location. Officers said almost everyone would have to drive. The report notes that the 3X and X20 buses stop near the lane end once a day in each direction.

Officers found no harm to the listed house, to trees or to the North Wessex Downs landscape. The report accepted the court brings “clear social and economic benefits”, but said these did not outweigh the harm to neighbours and the unresolved road safety concerns.

Timeline of the Elcot Park padel court. May 2025: two covered padel courts in the walled garden refused. November 2025: one padel court built over the hotel's old tennis court without permission. February 2026: retrospective application for 24 months submitted. By October 2026: 64 letters of support and 3 objections, plus 12 more in support; the parish council, Environmental Health and Highways all object. 21 October 2026: councillors vote to refuse on noise and highways grounds; formal decision notice to follow and the hotel can appeal
Graphic by The Newbury Times, from the council's planning record
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Support against objection

The court drew far more support than opposition. The report records 67 people writing in, 64 in support and 3 against. A committee update added 12 more letters of support. Thatcham charity Swings and Smiles also wrote in support.

Supporters told the council the court promotes fitness and community, that weekend slots are hard to book, and that there are few other courts nearby.

The objections came from closer to the court. The parish council objected unanimously, citing noise, lighting, bats, hours of use and how any limits would be enforced. The two nearest homes are about 70 and 77 metres from the court.

At the meeting, a supporter told councillors that 120 people had gathered at the court on Monday evening to show their support. The hotel’s representative said 1,500 players use the court and more than 1,000 of them are local. They also said there are no other pay-and-play padel courts in West Berkshire.

Councillor Vickers, one of the two ward members, backed refusal. They told the committee that dealing with the noise was likely to need new structures, which would mean starting again, and urged the hotel to come back with a better-prepared application.

What happens next

The committee’s decision passes to the council’s Development Manager to issue the formal refusal notice. The council and the hotel had agreed to extend the deadline for a decision to 28 October.

Officers told the committee the hotel could appeal to the Secretary of State. They said the council’s enforcement team could also act if it found harm, for example with a stop notice. They were not sure whether play would have to stop straight away or could continue while an appeal ran.

Officers also said nothing stops the hotel submitting a new application that deals with the reasons for refusal. Several councillors said they hoped it would.

What it means for you

  • If you play at the court: it has not been ordered to close yet. Watch for the decision notice and any appeal on the council’s planning register, reference 26/00403/FUL.
  • If you live nearby: any enforcement or appeal will appear on the same record. An appeal would go to the Planning Inspectorate, and a new application would bring a new chance to comment.
  • From 31 October a single new Planning Committee replaces the three area committees, so any fresh application will be decided under the new arrangements.

For other cases, see our Newbury planning news.