Rye Lawn Tennis Club is looking to build two padel courts in the same field where it planned to construct a large covered structure several years ago.
The current boom in padel — a sport combining elements of tennis and squash — means that “the club is in the very early stages of exploring the possibility of building two additional padel courts in the Poole Field”, the club said.
At its AGM in December 2023, the tennis club revealed that if it couldn’t “source sufficient funds” for its original project to build a covered structure for three indoor tennis courts on the field, “then we will aim to submit a planning application for more outdoor courts”.
Minutes from this meeting revealed the unsustainability of the club’s finances at that point — largely owing to the high cost of maintaining the eight grass courts (£100,000+ a year). The document stressed the need for the club to attract more tennis members and to become more commercial. In the year to 31 March 2024, the club actually made a loss of £20,000 and the shortfall was only made up by a donation. In fact, one of the problems previously identified was an over-reliance on donations.
However, with a new chair of the executive committee, Amanda Hoffman, now in place, and a re-energised focus on raising revenue and reducing costs, progress in turning round the club’s finances is apparently now occurring and a number of sponsors have been secured.
The club has not confirmed whether it intends the two new padel courts to be covered or not.
Rye Lawn Tennis Club’s previous attempt in 2016 to build a large covered structure housing three indoor courts provoked intense local opposition — on issues such as ecological protection, countryside encroachment and light pollution — and struggled through a prolonged planning process.
Outline planning permission was finally granted in August 2019, accompanied by a long list of conditions. However, it’s believed that a significant increase in building costs post-pandemic contributed to the collapse or mothballing of this project.
A condition appended to planning permission stipulated that the development needed to start within three years of planning permission being granted. No documents have appeared since August 2019 on RDC’s planning portal regarding “reserved matters”, archaeological works, a drainage scheme or a construction environmental management plan in connection with the covered tennis court structure.
Although it’s constituted as a non-profit-making limited company, the tennis club also has community amateur sports club status, which permits “charity type” tax reliefs. While it boasts a ten-member board, day-to-day running of the club is supervised by an 11-person executive committee.
Image Credits: David Worwood .