Finchley Golf Club wants two floodlit padel courts in its Frith Lane car park, open 7am to 10pm in summer. Comments close 5 November; the noise report inside.
Finchley Golf Club has applied to build two floodlit padel courts in its car park off Frith Lane, NW7. The courts would be open until 10pm in summer.
The application, 26/3651/FUL, was validated on 12 October. A site notice went up on 15 October. It expires on Thursday 5 November, so that is the date to work to if you want to comment. No comments had been lodged when we checked on 18 October.
The club first asked for four courts with retractable canopies. It cut the scheme to two open courts after the council’s planning officer raised concerns at the pre-application stage.
What the club is asking for
The application, drawn up by PJB Planning for the club, covers:
- two padel courts, each 10m by 20m, walled in toughened glass and mesh, with a green playing surface
- four floodlights on poles around each court
- four storage bays for golf course aggregate, built of oak sleepers to 1.4m high
- a resurfaced and re-marked car park with 90 spaces, against about 91 informal spaces now
- a new automatic entrance barrier
- five car park floodlight poles, four replacing existing lights and one new
The planning statement gives the proposed hours and use:
| Summer | Rest of the year | |
|---|---|---|
| Court opening hours | 7am to 10pm | 7.30am to 9pm |
| Most bookings a day, across both courts | 20 | 18 |
Courts would be booked through the Playtomic app in 90-minute slots. The statement says the court floodlights would switch on with each booking, and stay on for 15 minutes before and after play. The car park lights would carry on running from dusk to dawn for security.
The courts would be lit to an average of 300 lux. The club’s floodlighting report says the lights are fixed to the court sides and aimed into the courts.
Green Belt and the listed clubhouse
The golf course is in the Green Belt, according to the council’s constraints list for the application. Its clubhouse, Nether Court, is locally listed.
The planning statement quotes the local listing. Nether Court was designed by Percy Stone for the businessman Henry Tubbs and finished in 1883. Tubbs laid out a nine-hole course in the grounds in 1892. Finchley Urban District Council bought the house in 1928, and the golf club has used it since.
The club’s agent argues the courts are not “inappropriate development” in the Green Belt. Most of the work sits on the existing car park, which it treats as previously developed land. The courts would extend about 3m into the grassed bank on the car park’s western edge.
The statement also says no trees would be felled. Hedging would be planted on the car park side of the courts.
The site has some history. The council refused retrospective permission for concrete storage bays off Nether Court in 2018. The planning statement says a planning inspector dismissed the club’s appeal against enforcement action in 2019, and the bays were removed.
What the noise report predicts
The nearest homes are on Westlinton Close. The club’s noise impact assessment measures them at 60m to 63m from the site. The council’s pre-application advice, quoted in the same report, put the distance at 50 metres.
The consultants modelled play at the three closest houses:
| Home | Distance | Average over 5 minutes | Loudest moments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Westlinton Close | 60m | 41 dB | 58 dB |
| 2 Westlinton Close | 61m | 42 dB | 59 dB |
| 1 Westlinton Close | 63m | 43 dB | 61 dB |
They set limits of 45 dB for the average and 65 dB for the peaks, measured outside a window. Their predictions come in under both, so they class the impact as negligible. The report notes that a further assessment would be needed if any home turns out to be closer than those modelled.
No consultee comments, including from the council’s environmental health team, were on the file on 18 October.
Do we need more padel courts?
The club’s need assessment lists the padel venues it found nearby. It says the list is not exhaustive.
| Venue | Courts | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Powerleague Mill Hill, Pursley Road NW7 | 4 | Outdoor |
| Padel Tree Finchley, Summers Lane N12 | 5 | Outdoor |
| PADELHUB North London, Downland Close N20 | 6 | Indoor |
| Padel Tree Arkley, Brickfield Lane EN5 | 3 | Outdoor |
| The 108, Brent Cross Town NW2 | 6 | Indoor |
| S3 Padel Finchley Road NW3 (in Camden) | 10 | Outdoor, opened September 2026 |
The assessment argues that this shows a fast-growing local market rather than a saturated one. It also quotes Lawn Tennis Association figures: more than a million players in the UK in 2026, against 15,000 in 2019. The LTA has written a letter backing the plan, according to the planning statement.
What it means for you
If you live near Frith Lane, Nether Court or Westlinton Close, the main questions are evening light and noise, and these are the documents to read. You can comment on the application online until 5 November. Comments are public, so keep personal details out of the text.
If you play padel, this would add two outdoor courts in Mill Hill, booked through Playtomic. The need assessment says the club hopes to draw in local residents and new players as well as its members.
The council’s target date for a decision is 7 December. The case officer will decide whether it goes to a committee. Our guide to planning applications in Barnet explains how to find and comment on applications near you.
Have your say