Three new padel courts with floodlights at Weybridge Health Club to go before planning sub-committee

• The South Area Planning Sub-Committee will consider three planning applications at its meeting on 9 September 2026 in Esher.
• Weybridge Padel Limited is seeking permission for three additional padel courts with floodlights at the Weybridge Health Club on Walton Lane, a site already containing four existing courts, within the Green Belt.
• The Weybridge application attracted 152 letters of support and 38 objections, with concerns raised over noise, light pollution, ecological impact, flood risk and effects on an adjacent equestrian centre.
• Officers recommend granting permission for a replacement dwelling at Woodpeckers, Downside Common, Cobham, finding that a revised scheme has adequately addressed five reasons for refusal issued in 2024.
• Key conditions proposed for the Cobham site include removal of an on-site mobile home within three months of occupation, self-build compliance, white window finishes and pre-commencement ecological and arboricultural measures.

Elmbridge's South Area Planning Sub-Committee is due to consider three planning applications at its meeting on Wednesday 9 September 2026, including a proposal for three additional padel courts with floodlights at the Weybridge Health Club on Walton Lane, Weybridge, and a replacement dwelling in the Green Belt at Downside Common, Cobham.

The Weybridge Health Club application (2025/0748), submitted by Weybridge Padel Limited, seeks permission for three new padel courts with floodlights on land to the south-east of the existing health club building. The site already has four existing padel courts. The proposal includes a double court and a single court — measuring 23 metres wide by 37 metres deep — to be sited between the existing tennis courts and the three existing padel courts, and a further double court — measuring 13 metres wide by 22.9 metres deep — between the existing tennis courts and the car park. The applicant states the courts would be open to both health club members and the general public under a Community Use Agreement.

The application has attracted significant public interest, with 152 letters of support, 38 letters of objection and 9 letters of observation received. Supporters argue the courts meet growing local demand for padel, promote health and wellbeing across all ages, and represent an affordable recreational resource. Some supporters raised concerns that parking at peak times may prove insufficient with additional courts and suggested a modest expansion of 15 to 20 spaces.

Objectors raise concerns including noise, light pollution from floodlights, the loss of green space, parking and traffic pressure, flood risk, ecological impacts — including potential harm to an oak tree near the site and ancient woodland — and the effect of the existing and proposed courts on an adjacent equestrian centre. Some objectors question whether biodiversity surveys were conducted at the appropriate times of year and cite a Section 106 agreement placed on the land in 2005. The site lies within the Green Belt, Flood Zone 2, a Biodiversity Opportunity Area and a Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Area buffer zone.

Consultees including the County Highway Authority, Environmental Health, Surrey Wildlife Trust, the EBC Tree Officer and the Surrey Bat Group have all raised no objections, subject to conditions.

The second substantive application (2025/0554) concerns a replacement detached single-storey house with rooms in the roofspace, dormer windows and associated landscaping at Woodpeckers, Downside Common, Cobham, following demolition of the existing house. The site sits within the Green Belt and the Downside Village Conservation Area, adjacent to the Grade II listed Cricketers public house.

Officers are recommending that permission be granted. The application was referred to the sub-committee by Councillor Wells to consider whether the reasons for refusal of the previous application — refused in 2024 on five grounds including Green Belt harm, heritage impact, inadequate arboricultural information and failure to demonstrate biodiversity net gain compliance — have been adequately addressed.

The revised scheme removes the previously proposed gates, amends the design and materials of the replacement dwelling, and provides additional information on trees and ecology. Officers are satisfied that the replacement dwelling would not be materially larger than the existing — the footprint and volume remain within ten per cent of the original, and the ridge height is unchanged at 5.5 metres — and therefore does not constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt. The council's heritage officer found no harm in design or heritage terms, subject to a condition requiring windows to be finished in white rather than grey. A condition is also proposed requiring the removal of a mobile home currently sited to the rear of the dwelling within three months of first occupation of the replacement.

On biodiversity net gain, officers concluded that the development qualifies for the self-build exemption from mandatory ten per cent BNG, following the submission of an amended site location plan reducing the red line area to below 0.5 hectares. A condition would require the dwelling to be built and first occupied as a self-build home.

Four letters of objection were received from three addresses, raising concerns including Green Belt openness, impact on the Conservation Area and listed building, highway safety, the accuracy of the red line boundary, unauthorised development on the site and tree removal. Officers consider these matters addressed in the report. Planning consultees including the County Highway Authority, tree officer, Surrey Bat Group and Surrey Wildlife Trust raised no objections subject to conditions.

The third application on the agenda (2026/0808) concerns a property called Orenda at 66 Hogshill Lane, Cobham.

The meeting will be held at 7.00 pm in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Esher. It will be webcast. Members of the public wishing to attend in person must book in advance via the council's website or by telephoning 01372 474 474.