We had already suspected that the popular sport of padel was causing noise pollution for nearby residents… ever since the media began covering it, we’ve been receiving daily inquiries from concerned residents, sports clubs, and licensing authorities.

Padel is a growing sport that produces a lot of noise. This is partly due to the hard impact of the racket on the ball and the ball bouncing off the glass-enclosed court. In addition, it is played by four players on a court that is smaller than a tennis court, where usually two players play at a time. Often, in existing tennis complexes, a tennis court is replaced by one or two padel courts.

More and more often, residents, organizations, or municipalities are taking timely action to obtain accurate information about the potential consequences. Sometimes, however, the damage has already been done, and the runway has already been built, approved, and put into use, after which it becomes clear that nearby residents are experiencing noise pollution.

The KNLTB tennis association, together with consulting firms, users, permitting authorities, and builders, has formed a working group that jointly drafted the “Padel and Noise Guidelines, ” “a practical guide that can help stakeholders make the right assessments and determine feasibility.”

Key Points from the Guide

• On average, the noise level at a padel court is 91 dB(A). This value provides an indication of the feasibility of the plans and the possible need for noise-reduction measures, without having to conduct an acoustic study.
• An acoustic study is always required before constructing a padel court
• As various stakeholders, consult with one another to hear each other's perspectives

Does a Greenwall help block out the noise from padel?

A Greenwall noise barrier will help reduce noise pollution, provided that… the barrier is the correct height and length and is installed in the right location. That location must also be easily accessible for the machinery needed to construct it.

An acoustic consulting firm can assess the situation and recommend the appropriate dimensions for the Greenwall sound barrier.

The "Noise and Padel" Guide can be downloaded here.