England-star Trent Alexander-Arnold has finally won a long-term battle, which will hold a Padel Court of £ 50,000 in the garden of his £ 5 million Cheshire Mansion.
The Liverpool -defender initially built the sports court bench without the permission of the East Cheshire Council, but is now permitted to keep it after he agrees to follow the retrospective conditions that the Council has set.
But with growing rumors that the 26-year-old will pack his bags and move to the Spanish capital of Madrid this summer, the irony is that he may not even be able to use the court again by the time the nice rolls back.
Alexander -Arnold – whose contract in Merseyside is expiring this summer – was the subject of a £ 20 million offer from Real Madrid in January and is now free to discuss pre -contractual agreements with foreign clubs.
And if the move continues, it could see the defender throw his Cheshire away to join his fellow countrymate Jude Bellingham abroad.
The luxurious five-hectare house, which he bought from Chelsea wing player Raheem Sterling in 2022, already has a swimming pool, cinema, playroom, bar, natural pond and paddock.
Despite the switch to install the racket housing criticized by the local population, council officers supported Alexander-Arnold and said he had done well.
The case officer said: 'In this case, the site is well enclosed by substantial existing border planting in the north, south and west, so she is protected from public viewpoints in all directions. That is why the physical attack in the open countryside would be visually included on the site without external display.
'The size of the Paneelhof is also not considered exceptionally large for private use with a footprint of 130 m² and the dominant height of 3 m and a maximum height of 4 m for the side panels that consists of a lightweight mesh above. The black color also helps the proposal to merge with the existing border treatment.
'Given the relatively small -scale nature of the proposal and its screening from public viewpoints, it is not considered that the proposal would cause unacceptable damage to the character and appearance of the surrounding area or the wider open countryside.
“The proposal for private use and its limited size is also not considered considerable damage to the provision due to noise/disruption and is not considered considerably different in these terms with other sports/recreational use that is usually found in the open rural areas.”
Alexander-Arnold, who won the hearts of the nation when he hit England in the semi-final against Switzerland in Euro 2024, agreed to break down four spotlights and take out land architects to plant trees and hedges and explore screening around the new court.
It came more than two years after the structure was built – with the local parish council that accumulated because they feared that he would disturb the local population in the quiet village where Buren the former boss of Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson comprise.
He needed permission for a 'change of use' of the country, since the court is in a field outside of his garden trunks and in the designated open country.
The council officer continued: 'The retrospective nature of the application makes it difficult to confidently assess the possible effects of the proposed development on the nature conservation interests.
“However, the ecologist of the councils recommends that even if they were the effects, they would have been relatively low.”
As part of the conditions that the Council has approved to the court, Alexander-Arnold had to cultivate new trees, plants and hedges.
The spotlights had to be removed within three months to 'prevent light pollution' and he was not allowed to light the courts externally in any other way. He can only use the facilities for recreational purpose.
Complaining about the application earlier last year, the city council complained that 'there was no attention to the generated noise'.
Parish commanding Emma Bambrook said: 'It is essentially a change in the use of land and expansion of the Curtilage in the open country.
'It is acknowledged that policy makes an exception possible for' development that is essential for the purposes of outdoor recreation '. However, the application gives no reason why this development is 'essential'.
'Exceptions are only permitted if' it can be demonstrated that a rural location is needed for the proposal '. There is no justification in this application why this is 'necessary'.
“In this case, the Padel court seems to be only for private use, so there are no public benefits.”
The campaign to protect the countryside of England agreed with the 'well -reinforced objections of the parish council against this application'.
They said: 'A padel court for private use in no way justifies an intrusion into the open countryside around a village.
“The boundaries of the settlement must be respected if our countryside needs to be kept.”
Padel Tennis would be the world's fastest growing sport and garden orbits become the ultimate outdoor status symbol for the country houses of the rich and celebrities.
The All -action game – which originated from Mexico – is a cross between tennis and pumpkin, usually played in double pairs on a closed court about a third of the size of a tennis court.
Players can use the glass walls around the field, as long as the ball bounces first.
A large number of celebrities of A-list have included the game that is especially popular with the world's best football players.
It received the royal seal of approval after it appeared, Prince William and his wife Kate are addicted to the sport.
They are spotted with playing bright competitive matches with friends on courts near their Windsor house.
Courts must be built with building permit from developers who are responsible for obtaining permission.
The Lawn Tennis Association recommends that 'careful consideration of the location of proposed Padel courts must be given with regard to the impact of noise and light on adjacent homes'.
Planning documents show that construction work to build the court began in March 2022, which it is believed to be before Alexander-Arnold bought the building.
The planning agents of the football player say that the court is 'generous distance' of nearby property.
They say that there are 'no unacceptable consequences for the character and appearance of the area' and that 'there would be a net benefit as a result of the proposed schedule in landscape and visual terms'.
As part of the case of Alexander-Arnold, planning agents mentioned the successful profession of a landowner in Buckinghamshire who was allowed to hold a padel court that they built without a building permit.
In a statement to the council, the planning agents of the English star said: 'The proposed development includes a modest padel court.
'The court offers an outdoor sport and recreational facility for the occupiers of the house.
'The most important consideration is whether the proposed development would lead to unacceptable damage to the facility, character and appearance of the area.
“The glass panels and the metal framework for the Padel Court are not visible from the road and there is no visibility of a public priority in the area.”
Popster Shakira, Hollywood -actor Antonio Banderas, Supermodel Elle Macpherson and Rapper Stormzy belong to celebrities who have defended Padel Tennis.
Top football players Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham have also become addicted to the sport.
Brazilian legend Neymar is so passionate that he built two padel rights on the site of his vast mansion in Rio de Janeiro.
And Alexander Arnold seems to follow the management of former boss Jurgen Klopp, who had installed a court on the Liverpool training field and has focused on improving his game since he had left the club earlier this year.
But not everyone is such a big fan. Downton Abbey actor Jim Carter complained that the game – which is played with solid instead of Rijsraces – generated 'explosive noise'.
Objection to plans of a local girls' school to build a new court two years ago within hearing distance of his house in North Londs, described Carter Padel Tennis as' an aggressive game with accompanying aggressive levels of sound from players and equipment '.
Carter, 75, said that the sound levels had little resemblance to those created by players of traditional tennis that add: “A short visit to the public courts in Regent's Park or Hyde Park reveals that the heavy sound of a padel ball on bat and side panels is about tennis.”
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