Councillors approved the Creswell Drive padel and gym centre on protected open land, overruling officers. The Wharton Road children's home plan was pulled.

Bromley councillors have approved a padel, tennis and pickleball centre on a disused playing field in Beckenham, against the advice of their own planning officers. Officers had recommended refusal because the field is protected Metropolitan Open Land.

Plans Sub-Committee No. 1 made the decision on Thursday 8 October. The council’s decision sheet records application 26/00412/FPA, at the sports pavilion off Creswell Drive in Kelsey and Eden Park ward, as approved (decision sheet). The meeting ran until 9.56pm.

The same meeting dropped one of its most contested items. The council’s own plan for a children’s home on the Wharton Road car park in Bromley was withdrawn before a decision, and its report is marked “REPORT WITHDRAWN” (decision record).

What was approved at Creswell Drive

The applicants are Virtus Leisure Management Ltd and Padel Xtra Ltd. As we reported before the meeting, the scheme covers the 1.59-hectare field on the corner of South Eden Park Road and Creswell Drive. It includes:

  • 7 padel courts under canopies
  • 4 tennis courts in canvas structures
  • 3 pickleball courts
  • a two-storey building of 1,091 square metres, with a gym, studios, changing rooms and a café
  • first-floor rooms for NHS and private doctors, sports massage and a chiropractor
  • car and cycle parking, a pond and a nature area, with a new entrance from South Eden Park Road

The field was once part of the Wellcome and GlaxoSmithKline sports ground. The officers’ report says it has had no organised sport for more than 15 years (officers’ report).

Why officers said no

Officers accepted the outdoor courts could fit on Metropolitan Open Land. Their objection was to the building and the scale. They said it would cause “significant harm to openness”, and that the gym and health rooms were not “appropriate facilities” on protected land. They also cited the loss of category B trees and harm to the setting of locally listed houses on South Eden Park Road. A late addendum added an air quality objection from the council’s pollution officer (addendum).

The scheme had strong public backing. Of 290 people who responded, 191 supported it, 95 objected and 4 were neutral. Sport England did not object.

Councillors can overrule a recommendation, but they have to give planning reasons. The decision sheet records only the outcome. The sheet says the conditions and reasons will be in the minutes, which have not been published yet.

It is not final yet

The Greater London Authority reported on the application at its first stage, so it is referable to the Mayor of London. Under the Mayor of London Order 2008, a council that intends to grant a referable application must send it back to the Mayor first. The Mayor then has 14 days to let the council’s decision stand, direct it to refuse, or take the application over.

At its first stage the GLA supported the outdoor courts in principle. It described the indoor building as “inappropriate development” on Metropolitan Open Land unless very special circumstances were shown. That is the same point officers relied on, so the second stage is not a formality.

The other decisions: two more recommendations overturned

Councillors went against officers on two smaller cases as well. Both were household applications called in by ward councillors.

Application Officers recommended Committee decided
Garden annex, 166 Widmore Road, Bromley (26/02640/HPA) Grant Refused
Roof alterations already built, 7 Sherborne Road, St Mary Cray (26/02866/HPA) Refuse Approved
LED advertising screen, 20-25 Market Square, Bromley (26/02795/ADV) Refuse Refused
Wednesday car boot sales, Crystal Palace Park (25/04864/FPA) Grant for two years Approved
Children’s home, Wharton Road car park, Bromley (26/02370/FPA) Grant Withdrawn

Source: the council’s decision sheet for 8 October and the meeting page.

The committee also approved a tree preservation order at White Earth, Snag Lane, Cudham, and a certificate of lawfulness at 123 Blackbrook Lane, Bickley.

The Market Square refusal means Ocean Outdoor’s 5.2-metre moving advert screen will not go on the locally listed Dunn’s building, which Starbucks occupies.

Household cases like Widmore Road and Sherborne Road are about to stop coming to committee. From 31 October 2026, new national rules end committee decisions on householder and minor applications, apart from cases councillors refer within three weeks (council report on the planning committee reforms).

Wharton Road: what the withdrawal means

The children’s home would have replaced the 16-space car park at the corner of Wharton Road and St Timothy’s Mews. It drew 125 objections and 5 letters of support, mostly over parking and the size of the building (officers’ report). The council has not published a reason for withdrawing it. A withdrawn report is not a refusal: the application has not been decided and is still listed as undecided on the planning register. It could return to a later meeting.

What it means for you

  • If you live near Creswell Drive: the permission cannot be issued until the Mayor’s 14 days have passed. The conditions, including any on hours, floodlights and traffic, will be in the decision notice. Search 26/00412/FPA on the council’s planning register to see it when it is issued.
  • If you objected to the Wharton Road home: nothing has been decided. Watch the agendas for Plans Sub-Committee No. 1 for its return.
  • If you play padel: no opening date has been published. Building cannot start until the permission is issued and any pre-start conditions are cleared.

We will report the reasons when the minutes are published, and the Mayor’s response when it comes.

Sources