Cape Town residents hit back over padel court boom

NOISE POLLUTION

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS [e-mail]

As the popularity of padel surges across South Africa, a growing number of Cape Town residents are hitting back, voicing strong opposition to the construction of new courts in residential areas.

The backlash has sparked a broader debate about noise, light pollution, and the lack of clear regulation. One resident described it as living next to a shooting range.

In Claremont, a proposed plan to build eight indoor padel courts and a warehouse at the Claremont Villages Rugby Football Club ignited community resistance. Residents say the development was attempted without consultation and in an area unsuited to commercial sport.

“They tried to build these courts at the end of last year — just 30 metres from my bedroom window,” said resident Zara Langford, 60.

“We got a stop order in January. The land isn’t zoned for this type of high-impact, high-volume activity. You can’t just plonk a commercial sports facility with late-night operating hours into a residential zone and expect people to be okay with it.”