Padel Court Centre Proposed for Syon Park

Plan is to build on 'little-used' site at northern end of estate

A visualisation of the proposed facility from the planning application documents

January 2, 2026

A planning application (P/2025/3478) has been submitted for a cluster of padel courts in the northernmost section of Syon Park, transforming a maintenance compound into a new sports facility. The proposal—submitted by Padel Shift in partnership with Northumberland Estates—seeks permission for five courts, three of them covered, along with a pétanque pitch and small ancillary buildings.

The application site sits at the far northern edge of Syon Park, bounded by the River Brent to the west and the estate’s boundary wall with Augustus Close to the north. Unlike the formal parkland and historic gardens surrounding Syon House, this area is not open to the public and is currently used by the estate as a storage and maintenance compound.

According to the planning documents, the site contains a metal container, hardstanding, spoil heaps and woodland maintenance debris. It is visually separated from the rest of the park by dense tree belts and is screened from the canal, the Thames and the historic core of the estate. The nearest homes lie around 50 metres away on the opposite side of Augustus Close.

This part of the park has been the subject of planning proposals before. In 2010 and 2012, Hounslow Council approved applications for an outdoor maze, play equipment, a toilet block and a ticket kiosk on the same land as part of a wider scheme linked to the Snakes and Ladders play centre. Officer reports at the time concluded that the area contributed little to the conservation area and had a character distinct from the historic parkland.

The site at the northern end of Syon Park as it is currently

Padel Shift’s plans include five padel courts (three covered by lightweight timber-clad canopies, two open-air), a pétanque court, free to use and three small pavilion buildings—a clubhouse, food and drink kiosk, and changing/WC block—constructed from timber-clad shipping containers. In addition there would be new landscaping, including serpentine paths, wildflower areas and dense planting along with cycle parking, one staff parking space and two accessible spaces.

The application claims that the design draws heavily on the estate’s historic landscape, particularly the serpentine forms introduced by Capability Brown. The covered courts are positioned against the northern retaining wall to reduce their visibility, with the canopies designed to appear lightweight and subordinate to the grander architecture elsewhere in the park.

The courts would be unheated and naturally ventilated, with no enclosed indoor floorspace.

Padel Shift says the venue would operate on a pay-and-play basis with no membership requirement, aiming to keep prices affordable. The company proposes:

• Free or subsidised sessions for local schools and community groups
• A junior development programme and LTA-approved tournaments
• Partnerships with charities such as British Roundnet
• Summer multi-sport camps for children
• Local recruitment for staff roles
• Opportunities for small local businesses to run the food and beverage unit

The West London Chambers of Commerce has issued a letter of support, describing the project as socially and economically beneficial.

The site lies within Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), the Isleworth Riverside Conservation Area, the Grade I-listed Syon Park and Garden, and the buffer zone of the Kew World Heritage Site. It is also in Flood Zone 3.

The applicant argues that the proposal meets national and local policy tests because:

• Outdoor sport and recreation are long-established exceptions to inappropriate development on MOL.
• The canopies are open-sided, visually permeable and positioned where they are screened by mature trees.
• The site is physically and visually separate from the historic parkland that defines Syon’s significance.
• No trees would be removed, and root protection zones have shaped the layout.
• Flood risk can be managed through permeable surfaces and infiltration drainage.
• Biodiversity net gain can be achieved partly on site and partly through off-site credits.

The heritage assessment concludes that the scheme would cause only “minor, less than substantial harm” to the registered park and conservation area, with no impact on the setting of listed buildings or the Kew WHS. Under planning policy, such harm must be weighed against public benefits.

Visitors would be encouraged to walk or cycle from the main Syon Park car park. Based on modelling from other Padel Shift venues, peak-time vehicle movements are estimated at around 20 per hour.

Noise from play could be mitigated by the glass ends of the courts and extended cladding on the northern canopy gable. Lighting would use directional LED fittings with deflector plates, linked to the booking system so that unused courts remain unlit.

Hounslow Council will now assess the application against local and national planning policy, including heritage, ecology, flood risk and MOL considerations. Public consultation will follow, giving residents and stakeholders the opportunity to comment. To make a comment visit the planning section of the Hounslow Council web site and search using the reference: P/2025/3478.