Views of the Woodtown site where revised plans for a tennis and padel academy aim to preserve more existing vegetation
Woodtown tennis plans cut back after council concerns
ADDITIONAL information has been provided to SDCC’S Planning Department regarding the development of a tennis and padel sports facility on a portion of land north of Stocking Avenue in Woodtown.
RS Tennis & Padel Academy Ltd submitted an application for the 1.98-hectare site in December 2025, which detailed plans for three outdoor padel courts, two outdoor tennis courts and two indoor tennis halls.
Upon consideration, South Dublin County Council requested additional information regarding one of the tennis halls and two padel courts, as well as the impact the development may have on the environment.
SDCC advised the omission of one tennis hall and two padel courts from the plans due to a “notable gap between the scale and extent of the proposal and the capacity of the site to sustainably accommodate the development.”
The Planning Department particularly emphasised the need to ensure the ecological value of the existing scrub and habitats within the site are adequately addressed in the plans
In its response, the applicant ensured that the “quantity of scrub to be removed has been revised” and “the proposal will now retain approximately 9,169m2, equivalent to 64.5 per cent, of the existing shrub and scrub areas.”
The applicant clarified that padel court three was omitted during the submission of further information, while tennis hall two was reduced in size by 28 per cent, from 1900sqm to 1368sqm.
This allows for more existing shrub and wild vegetation to remain, while increasing the distance to the nearest neighbouring house to 29.8m.
As detailed in the cover letter, such reductions in the scale and extent of the proposed development would protect the variety of biodiversity, including habitats on the site, retain existing wild vegetation and reduce the impact on nearby residential properties and protect their amenity.
The full development includes the installation of floodlights, a warm-up area, There is also assigned space for parking, comprising 49 car parking spaces, 52 bicycle parking spaces, as well as a new access point from Stocking Well and all associated landscaping & site works.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
