We have seen a huge surge in the need for padel court lighting recently and as you know, we love a challenge. So when we were asked to produce a Lighting Assessment and a Lighting Design for 3 new padel courts close to a river and a bat haven…we relished the task!

Bannatyne Health Club in Weybridge, Surrey has embraced the fast-growing sport of padel and is progressing with plans to develop three new padel courts on land to the south of the existing clubhouse.

To maximise usability and member access, padel court lighting and tennis court lighting are essential for enabling play during evening hours. However, outdoor sports lighting must be carefully designed to balance functionality with environmental sensitivity, especially regarding local wildlife and ecological receptors.

At DFL, we specialise in sports lighting design and have extensive experience delivering outdoor lighting schemes that meet both sporting and environmental standards. Our approach to padel court lighting ensures safety, performance and compliance with best practice guidelines.

To support this development, we prepared a Technical Lighting Report for the land at Bannatyne Health Club & Spa, Walton Lane, Weybridge. The report outlined the recommended lighting strategy, specifying the illumination levels, coverage areas, and environmental controls required to meet both operational and ecological criteria.

Compliance and Best Practice are at the top of the list and all proposed lighting solutions complied with Relevant British Standards, and the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) Guidance, including those on obtrusive light control.

This ensured that any potential impact on the surrounding environment, such as nearby bat habitats, is mitigated in accordance with industry best practice.

Our Report also covered applicable policies relating to obtrusive light and environmental protection, relevant national and local planning policies, any justification for artificial lighting in the context of the proposed development and a detailed methodology for implementing the lighting design.

We also supplied a detailed analysis of potential environmental impacts.

Planning was granted and the 3 padel courts were built and have been in constant use. In fact, so much so, that the club are planning another 3 courts to maximise the popularity of this trending sport. Of course, we will be on hand to ensure the lighting part of the planning application is silky smooth.