Seaham Hall, Durham
- Client
- Seaham Hall
- Location
- Durham
- Project size
- One covered padel court.
- Status
- Approved
Padel Plan secured planning consent for a single covered padel court at Seaham Hall, a highly constrained site subject to considerable ecological and tree protection. The site lies within a wider blanket Tree Preservation Order and within the setting of the listed Seaham Hall, so both trees and heritage needed careful attention.
The Padel Plan team worked closely with the arboricultural consultant to position the court and its canopy carefully, keeping the impact on the surrounding trees to a minimum. This included a novel approach to constructing the court within the root protection zones of the trees, allowing the scheme to go ahead while safeguarding the protected tree cover that contributes so much to the character of the grounds.
Alongside the tree work, Padel Plan prepared a heritage assessment that demonstrated the single court could be located sensitively within the setting of Seaham Hall. The assessment gave the council confidence that the scheme would respect the significance of the listed building and its historic surroundings.
The scheme shows that with sensible and pragmatic planning, padel courts can be approved within a Tree Preservation Order area and within the setting of listed buildings.
At Padel Plan, we take a practical, solutions focused approach to difficult sites. Whether working close to protected trees or within a sensitive heritage context, we bring the right specialists together and shape schemes that planners can support.
