Who really decides where padel courts are located in France? Padel Magazine

The growth of padel in Europe and France is accompanied by an increasingly sensitive issue: Who actually decides on the location of padel courts?
Behind every new runway project lies a complex governance system involving local authorities, urban planning, sports federations and technical recommendations .

Contrary to what one might think, In France, there is no single national rule imposing minimum distances between padel courts and dwellings. Decisions are primarily made by municipalities, within a fragmented regulatory framework where recommendations are often non-binding.

This situation partly explains the tensions observed in certain territories between Rapid development of padel and noise-related neighborhood disputes .

With helpby EchoPadel et ScienceDirect Let's take a closer look at a topic that sometimes causes a stir…

A padel explosion that raises questions about land-use planning

Padel is experiencing spectacular growth in many countries. In France, the number of players has increased from approximately 110,000 in 2020 to over 500,000 in 2025 and the French Tennis Federation (FFT), which has been the delegated authority for the sport since 2014, plans a tripling of the number of pitches by 2029 to meet growing demand.

But this rapid expansion raises a fundamental question: Where should the pitches be located?

The padel courts feature a distinctive acoustic signature characterized by impulsive noises:

ball/racket impact
Ball impact / glass
metallic impact on the wire mesh
players' shouts

These repetitive sounds can reach 89 to 91 dB with peaks sometimes exceeding 100 dB which makes them particularly noticeable to local residents.

In several European countries, these nuisances have become a growing source of legal disputes and local conflicts .

The central role of municipalities

In France, The authorization to install a padel court falls primarily under the jurisdiction of local authorities. , within the framework of urban planning regulations.

In concrete terms, several elements come into play:

le Local Urban Planning Plan (PLU)
the delivery of building permit or prior declaration
the possible opinion of technical services or acoustic studies

Municipalities therefore have a wide margin of appreciation to accept or reject a project.

The problem is that The existing technical recommendations are not legally binding. A town hall can therefore authorize a plot of land even if certain recommendations are not respected.

This creates a situation in which The decision depends heavily on the local context and political trade-offs. .

Technical recommendations… but not mandatory

In response to the rise in noise-related conflicts, several institutions have published recommendations.

La French tennis federation For example, they proposed an indicative grid based on the distance between the land and the dwellings:

Beyond 100 m: low risk
Between 50 and 75 m: high risk
less than 50 m: installation strongly discouraged without significant acoustic treatment

Some Regional health agencies also recommend to avoid the construction of land less than 50 meters from dwellings without a prior acoustic study.

However, these recommendations remain consultative .

In other words, they may be taken into account… or not.

A fragmented regulatory framework

The governance of padel today is characterized by a wide dispersion of responsibilities .

Several actors are involved:

Municipalities

They issue planning permissions and make the final decisions.

The state

It sets the major environmental frameworks, notably through the National Health and Environment Plan , which includes the reduction of noise pollution.

Health agencies

They warn of the risks of harm to health and recommend certain precautions.

The French Tennis Federation

It publishes technical recommendations and provides support to local authorities.

Padel and noise pollution: the FFT publishes a technical study

Courts

In the event of a conflict, it is often the administrative or civil courts that decide.

This system multilevel explains why it exists practices vary greatly from one municipality to another .

The influence of urban planning and city morphology

The location of the sites also depends on the urban layout.

Scientific research highlights the importance of two major factors:

the distance between the noise source and the dwellings
direct visibility (line of sight) between the land and the housing.

When the dwellings are in direct line to the track noise spreads more easily.

Conversely, certain urban features can reduce sound propagation:

buildings
walls
acoustic screens
terrain relief

These elements can play a role in natural acoustic barrier .

More structured European examples

In some countries, the issue is addressed in a more structured way.

To Netherlands a national guide entitled Padel and Noise Guide recommends a A minimum distance of approximately 100 meters between padel courts and dwellings. , with greater distances in quiet residential areas or for multi-site complexes.

En Belgium (Wallonia) Public acoustic studies also suggest distances greater than 100 meters to limit noise pollution around the outdoor courts.

These documents often serve as a reference for local authorities and even for courts.

Conflicts that reveal an issue of environmental justice

Recent studies show that The location of padel courts can create territorial inequalities. .

Some municipalities have:

technical services capable of conducting acoustic studies
budgets for installing noise-canceling screens
more precise planning tools

Other communities, particularly in small towns or rural areas, have fewer resources to supervise projects .

This can lead to a overexposure of some residents to noise pollution raising questions of environmental justice.

In a recent national study, Nearly a third of padel courts in France do not comply with the recommended social distancing guidelines. potentially exposing several thousand local residents to the nuisances.

An emerging political issue

The issue of noise from padel is also beginning to appear in the public debate.

The Parliamentary questions have already been tabled in the National Assembly regarding the nuisances generated by certain plots of land close to homes.

This shows that the subject now goes beyond the simple sporting context to become a question of land-use planning and public health .

Towards clearer governance?

Today, the location of padel courts is based on a A delicate balance between the development of sport and the protection of local residents. .

Several avenues are being explored to improve the situation:

generalize preliminary acoustic studies
to define national minimum distances
integrate padel into the noise urban planning policies
develop acoustic attenuation solutions

The challenge is to find a model that allows the development of padel without generating conflicts with the inhabitants .

Because while the sport is experiencing spectacular success, its territorial governance is still under construction .

Sources

Dufour J.-C., Bonnet C. (2026). Padel courts, urban morphology and environmental noise exposure in France. City and Environment Interactions.
French Tennis Federation (FFT). Technical study on noise pollution from padel.
French government. National Health and Environment Plan (PNSE 4) .
National Noise Council / CidB – Quiet Label.
Dutch guide Guide Padel in Geluid (Padel and Noise Guide).

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.