Bishopdale Tennis Club wants to install a padel court at the back of their premises. This will be available for members and non-members of the Tennis Club to use.

They're proposing to:

• Install the new court surrounded by a glass and mesh panel
• Install four freestanding lights with backboards to illuminate the playing area, and
• Remove three small trees in Bishopdale Park and one tree within the Bishopdale Tennis Club area (each removed tree will be replaced by two new trees in line with the Christchurch City Council's Tree Policy).

The cost of constructing the padel court and removing and replacing trees will be covered by the Bishopdale Tennis Club.

What is padel?

Padel is a racket sport that combines tennis, squash, and badminton. It is played on an enclosed court that is slightly smaller than a regular tennis court.

The padel court will be positioned against the rear boundary of the Bishopdale Tennis Club, in line with the existing tennis courts.

For more detail on the proposed court, see the technical plans.

The proposed padel court would damage the roots of four trees. Three trees are on the boundary of Bishopdale Park and the Bishopdale Tennis Club - these trees are ake ake and pittosporum. For each removed tree, two new trees of the same or similar species would be replanted in the Park at a more suitable location.

A walnut tree within the Bishopdale Tennis Club premises is damaging existing tennis courts with its roots, and would likely be damaged by the installation of the padel court.