Eaton Park, Norwich
- Client
- Norwich Parks Padel
- Location
- Norwich
- Project size
- Four outdoor courts
- Status
- Approved and Operational
Eaton Park is a much loved public park in Norwich and is also included on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. Introducing padel courts into a registered historic park required a careful and balanced approach from the outset.
Padel Plan assessed the heritage impacts of the courts in detail, considering how they would affect the significance and character of the registered park. This assessment was then weighed against the clear public benefits the courts would bring, including new opportunities for people to take part in sport within an accessible public space. Setting out this balance clearly gave the council a sound basis on which to support the scheme.
The scheme also had to deliver biodiversity net gain, including new tree planting. However, any new trees needed to reflect the historic design of the wider park rather than detract from it. The Padel Plan team worked to design and position the new planting so that it would recreate some of the historic tree avenues that had been lost over time.
This approach allowed the scheme to meet its biodiversity net gain commitments without undermining the historic character of the park. Rather than competing with each other, the ecological and heritage objectives were brought together, with the new planting helping to restore part of the park's original layout.
Planning consent was granted, bringing padel to one of Norwich's best known parks while helping to reinstate part of its historic landscape.
This scheme shows how careful design can reconcile environmental requirements with heritage protection. At Padel Plan, we combine specialist knowledge of padel developments with detailed heritage and ecological understanding, finding solutions that satisfy competing policy demands and deliver genuine benefits for the places we work in.
