The second in a series of four editorials exploring the noise implications of padel in the UK, written for those developing or reviewing padel court proposals. This editorial summarises what practitioners and decision makers need to understand about Noise Impact Assessments (NIA) for padel.
New padel courts will introduce impulsive, high‑intensity sound into most environments, and this makes noise a material consideration in planning. The purpose of a Noise Impact Assessment (NIA) is therefore simple yet critical: to quantify the actual impact of padel noise and determine whether it is acceptable in the context of the receiving environment.
A Noise Impact Assessment is a formal technical report that identifies which buildings or areas are most sensitive to the introduction of a new noise source. It documents the existing acoustic environment, predicts the contribution of the proposed padel courts and compares the results with recognised UK guidance which determines whether the effects are acceptable for planning approval. A competent NIA will also identify appropriate mitigation and predict its likely benefit, enabling a clear understanding of risk and design requirements.
Requirements vary by planning authority and depend on the scale of development and its proximity to noise‑sensitive receptors (buildings or areas). In 2024, with around 500 courts in the UK—predominantly in the southeast and southwest—padel was still relatively unfamiliar to many authorities and some early sites were approved without an NIA. However, after several years of adverse press coverage and high‑profile appeals, authorities apply significantly increased scrutiny and some now require an NIA for all padel proposals.
An NIA becomes especially important where development density is high, where residents are within approximately 50 metres, or where the existing sound environment is quiet. Likelihood of complaints, ecological sensitivity, and local planning precedent also strongly influence NIA expectations.
If you believe noise is likely to be an issue, the planning authority almost certainly will too. Sites close to residential boundaries or located in low‑noise rural environments are highly likely to require an NIA. Developers are strongly advised to review similar applications in the area and check local noise‑related planning policies early in the process.
An acoustician undertakes a baseline survey, usually involving monitoring over several days or attended measurements depending on site characteristics. For padel, the consultant must also have robust data on padel noise emissions. This usually requires measurements taken at operating courts to capture both overall levels and the distinctive characteristics of padel impact noise.
Using these measurements, the acoustician predicts noise propagation from the proposed courts in all key directions. This may be performed manually for simple sites or using 3D acoustic models for more complex environments. The assessment should then relate predicted changes in noise to established guidance, providing a transparent and technically defensible conclusion on the impact to the site.
Because padel noise is highly impulsive, standard noise metrics alone do not provide an accurate representation. A strong NIA will therefore quantify both overall noise levels and impulsive (impact) event levels, demonstrating compliance with relevant guidance through clear calculations and transparent assumptions.
A well‑structured NIA is readable, rigorous, and credible. Planning officers may not intuitively understand decibel metrics but will recognise clarity of evidence and a credible of methodology. This is why when we conducted research, we compared the results to tennis for an easily recognisable benchmark, you can view this and associated guidance here.
Most failures occur in two critical areas:
You may choose to submit a planning application without an NIA and wait for the authority to request one, but this often leads to delays and can give objections additional time to accumulate. Engaging an acoustician early has clear advantages: design advice can reduce noise at source, streamline the planning process, and avoid costly retrofitted mitigation.
If you are in the midst or at the start of planning a sports project that will or may need a noise impact solution, get in touch!
May Walters Acoustic Consultants (MW Acoustics) specialise in acoustics for padel and sporting facilities. In 2024 we undertook an independent programme of nearly 50 hours of measurements on padel and tennis courts to build a robust comparison dataset. The work maps how sound propagates from padel courts, characterises impact content and frequency, and highlights how patterns shift with player ability. The findings have been presented to the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and inform current training content. The dataset underpins a propagation model that supports reliable predictions for planning submissions in the UK.