29 April 2025 · Planning Committee
Tennis Courts, Nobles Park, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM2 4bd
The proposal involves repurposing underused tennis/netball courts in the centre of Nobles Park to six smaller padel tennis courts enclosed by 3-4m high glass screens and mesh fencing, with 6m high floodlights (4 per court), bollard/wall lighting, a 7.9m x 3m kiosk, covered seating, planters, and 3-4m security fencing.
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The officer concluded that while the proposal increases built form with glass screens, fencing, a kiosk, and 26 floodlight columns (6m high), plus low-level lighting, and could attract more visitors t…
General Policy 2
Requires development to respect site/surroundings in siting/layout/scale/design, not adversely affect landscape/townscape, amenities, highway safety, or character. Officer assessed proposal complies as increased built form/lighting acceptable in park context with separation distances, screening, and existing lighting mitigating impacts on amenities and views.
Spatial Policy 5
New development should positively contribute to Island environment, supported by Design Statement. Proposal seen as enhancing park with new leisure facility.
Transport Policy 7
Requires parking per standards. Met via 651 existing park spaces and similar demand to current use, confirmed by Highways.
Recreation Policy 2
Prohibits loss of recreational open space unless community gain and no significant effect. Existing courts underused (rare public use observed); padel introduces new sport with LTA support, providing overall community gain without land use change.
Community Policy 2
New facilities should serve local population, accessible to non-car users, reuse underused buildings. Centrally located in Douglas, walkable, near bus stops.
Community Policy 3
Loss of community facility only if no longer practical/desirable. Underused courts justify repurposing to in-demand padel.
Environment Policy 36
Development near Conservation Area only if no detriment to views. 85m+ distance, complements park leisure uses; Registered Buildings Officer confirmed no harm.
Time limit
The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Western boundary fencing details
Prior to the installation of any boundary fencing as shown on drawing 20195-PL03 a detailed drawing of the western boundary fencing of the site which is no taller than 3m in height shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department and these approved details shall be full adhered to and retained thereafter while the site is in operation. Reason: In the interest of visual amenities of the area.
Court and seating operating hours
The courts and ancillary seating areas as shown on drawing 20195-PL03 hereby approved shall only be used between the hours of 0600hrs and 2200hrs. Reason: In the interests of the visual amenities of the area, neighbouring amenities and the times are those which have been set out in the submitted documents and have been considered on this basis only.
Low level lighting curfew
The low level lighting (bollards and wall lighting) as shown on drawing 20195-PL03 shall not be in operation between 2220hrs and 0540hrs. Reason: In the interests of the visual amenities of the area, neighbouring amenities and the times are those which have been set out in the submitted documents and have been considered on this basis only.
Floodlighting curfew
The floodlighting as shown on drawing 20195-PL03 shall not be in operation between 2205hrs and 0555hrs. Reason: In the interests of the visual amenities of the area, neighbouring amenities and the times are those which have been set out in the submitted documents and have been considered on this basis only.
Bird strike prevention film
Prior to the installation of any glass court screening details of the bird strike prevention film shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department and these approved details shall be installed prior to the use of any court and retained thereafter. Reason: In the interest of bird strike prevention.
no objection
no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as the proposed use would have a similar parking demand to the existing use if renovated, while the site is in a sustainable location
No objection subject to condition on bird strike prevention film
no significant harm to the setting of the conservation area...presence of floodlighting...acceptable in terms of the character and appearance
Douglas City Council provided consultation responses indicating no objections to the conversion of tennis courts to padel tennis courts in Nobles Park. Additional applicant-submitted comments from Douglas City Council Parks Services confirm low usage of existing facilities.
Douglas City Council
No ObjectionDouglas City Council has no objections.; The following planning application will be considered by the Council’s Executive Committee at a meeting to be held on the 27/03/25. We will provide our comments on this application shortly after this meeting has taken place.
Douglas City Council
No ObjectionFollowing consideration of the planning application listed above, I can advise that Douglas City Council has no objections.
Douglas City Council
SupportDCC set up one tennis court with nets each summer from late May to the end of September. However, Parks Services staff have reported that it is rarely used, with only one instance of public use observed in the past three years.; The area does have netball goals, but they have only been set up twice in the past three years. Netball is now primarily played indoors at the NSC and in school gyms.
