FACILITIES for a sport which has increasingly become popular in recent years could be coming to a location near Bude after Cornwall Council gave planning approval for the scheme.

Thorne Developments Ltd submitted proposals seeking permission to construct a padel tennis court and a general parking area on land near to Peak Performance Ltd, a local fitness and gymnasium facility on Stratton Business Park.

The applicant told the council: “The proposal is the formation of Padel Tennis Courts together with a general parking area on land north of Peak Performance Gym, Bude Stratton Business Park, Bude EX23 8LY.

“The Padel courts site is to the north of Peak Performance Gym [adjacent to Aldridge's Garage] on the site of a previous car hire business compound. The site is hard-surfaced and would be accessed from the existing access leading to the estate feeder road.

“The court is surrounded by a toughened glass screen 4m high and would have downfacing spotlights. This form of tennis is currently very popular and this proposal is intended to meet the potential demand in the area for the sport - presently, as far as is known the nearest Padel courts are in the Wadebridge area.

“The proposal, whilst not strictly an employment use, is located adjacent to an approved gym and parking area and will not detract from the overall employment uses on the site. It is a good accessibility location through a number of means of travel.”

Bude-Stratton Town Council said that it noted the application for the padel court and had no objection to the proposed scheme.

The planning permission granted was conditional on the submission of a site operation management plan, which would include stating the opening hours and times for the site, survelliance and other arrangements, including an external lighting scheme.