By CIARAN FOREMAN
Published: 04:12 EST, 8 March 2025 | Updated: 04:12 EST, 8 March 2025
England star Trent Alexander-Arnold has finally won a long-running battle which will see him keep a £50,000 padel court in the garden of his £5million Cheshire mansion.
The Liverpool defender initially built the sports court without permission from East Cheshire Council, but has now been allowed to keep it after agreeing to follow the retrospective conditions the council set him.
But with growing rumours that the 26-year-old will pack his bags and move to the Spanish capital of Madrid this summer, the irony is that he may not even get to use the court again by the time the nice weather rolls back around.
Alexander-Arnold - whose contract in Merseyside will expire this summer - was the subject of a £20million bid from Real Madrid in January, and is now free to discuss pre-contractual agreements with foreign clubs.
And if the move goes through, it could see the defender ditch his Cheshire property behind to join the likes of his fellow compatriot Jude Bellingham abroad.
The luxury five-acre property, which he bought from Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling in 2022, already boasts a swimming pool, cinema, games room, bar, wildlife pond and paddock.
Despite the move to install the racket enclosure being criticised by locals, council officials backed Alexander-Arnold, saying he had done a good job.
The case officer said: 'In this instance the site is well enclosed by substantial existing boundary planting to the north, south and west, so is screened from public vantage points in all directions. Therefore the physical encroachment into the open countryside would be visually contained inside the site with no external viewing.
England star Trent Alexander-Arnold initially built the £50,000 padel tennis court at the bottom of his garden at his Cheshire property (pictured) without planning permission
The Liverpool defender was threatened with having to demolish the court over fears that noisy games could lead to a volley of complaints from neighbours
The updated decision shows an aerial view of the enclosed padel court
Trent Alexander Arnold's contract with Liverpool will expire this summer and he is now free to discuss pre-contractual agreements with foreign clubs - with Real Madrid frontrunners to sign him
Concerns were also been raised over the impact of the unauthorised development on the countryside. Pictured: The plans for the padel court
'The size of the panel court is also not considered to be excessively large for private use with a footprint of 130sqm and predominant height of 3m and a maximum height of 4m for the side panels which consists of a light weight mesh above. The black colour also helps the proposal to blend in with the existing boundary treatment.
'Therefore given the relatively small scale nature of the proposal and its screening from public vantage points, it is not considered that the proposal would cause unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area or the wider open countryside.
'The proposal for private use and its limited size is also not considered to cause significant harm to amenity through noise/disturbance and is not considered to be significantly different in these terms to other sport/recreational uses usually found within the open countryside.'
Alexander-Arnold, who won the nation's hearts as he slammed England into the semi-finals against Switzerland in Euro 2024, agreed to tear down four floodlights and hired landscapers to plant trees and hedges and provide screening around the new court.
It came more than two years after the structure was built - with the local parish council kicking up a fuss as they feared he would disturb locals in the quiet village where neighbours include former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
He needed permission for a 'change of use' of the land as the court lies in a field outside of his garden boundary, and in designated open countryside.
The council officer continued: 'The retrospective nature of the application makes it difficult to confidently assess the potential impacts of the proposed development upon nature conservation interests.
'However the Councils Ecologist advises that even if they were the impacts would have been relatively low.'
He bought the £5.1million five-bedroom Cheshire mansion from Chelsea star Raheem Sterling in 2022
One of the bedrooms in the property can be seen with silverware on display
If he decides to join Real Madrid, the defender could ditch his Cheshire property to join the likes of his fellow compatriot Jude Bellingham
As part of the conditions the council have consented to the court, Alexander-Arnold had to plant new trees, plants and cultivate hedges.
The floodlights had to be removed within three months to 'prevent light pollution' and he was not allowed to light the courts externally in any other way. He is only allowed to use the facilities for recreational purpose.
Complaining about the application earlier last year, the local council complained that 'no consideration has been given to the noise generated.'
Parish clerk Emma Bambrook said: 'It is essentially a change of use of land and extension of the curtilage into the open countryside.
'It is acknowledged that policy allows an exception for 'development that is essential for the purposes of outdoor recreation'. However, the application gives no reason why this development is 'essential'.
'Exceptions will only be allowed if 'it can be demonstrated that a countryside location is necessary for the proposal'. There is no justification in this application as to why this is 'necessary'.
'In this case, the padel court appears to be for private use only, so there are no public benefits.'
The Campaign to Protect Rural England agreed with the parish council's 'well-argued objections to this application'.
The luxury five-acre property already boasts a swimming pool, cinema, games room, bar, wildlife pond and paddock
Trent Alexander-Arnold of England shoots home penalty during the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-final match between England and Switzerland
They said: 'A padel court for private use in no way justifies an intrusion into the open countryside surrounding a village.
'Settlement Boundaries must be respected if our countryside is to be preserved.'
Padel tennis is said to be the world's fastest growing sport and garden courts are becoming the ultimate outdoor status symbol for the country homes of the rich and famous.
The all-action game - which originated in Mexico - is a cross between tennis and squash, usually played in doubles pairings on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court.
Players are allowed to use the glass walls surrounding the court as long as the ball bounces first.
A host of A-list celebrities have taken up the game which is particularly popular with the world's top footballers.
It was given the royal seal of approval after it emerged Prince William and his wife Kate are hooked on the sport.
They have been spotted playing fiercely competitive matches with friends on courts close to their Windsor home.
Among the celebrities who have championed padel tennis is Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured playing in Singapore on June 3, 2023)
David Beckham has also become hooked on the sport
Courts must be built with planning permission with developers responsible for obtaining consents.
The Lawn Tennis Association advises that 'careful consideration of the location of proposed padel courts should be given in relation to the impact of noise and light on adjacent residential properties'.
Planning documents show that construction work to build the court began in March 2022 which is believed to be before Alexander-Arnold bought the property.
The footballer's planning agents say the court is 'generously distanced' from nearby properties.
They say there are 'no unacceptable impacts on the character and appearance of the area' and that there would be 'a net benefit as a result of the proposed scheme in landscape and visual terms'.
As part of Alexander-Arnold's case, planning agents cited the successful appeal of a landowner in Buckinghamshire who was allowed to keep a padel court they built without planning permission.
In a statement to the council, the England star's planning agents said: 'The proposed development comprises a modestly sized padel court.
'The court provides an outdoor sport and recreational facility for the occupiers of the house.
And Alexander-Arnold appears to be following the lead of former boss Jurgen Klopp who has posted on Instagram about how he has concentrated on improving his game since quitting Liverpool last month
'The key consideration is whether the proposed development would result in unacceptable harm to the amenity, character and appearance of the area.
'The glass panels and metal framework for the padel court is not visible from the road and there is no visibility from any public right of way in the area.'
Pop star Shakira, Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas, supermodel Elle Macpherson and rapper Stormzy are among celebrities who have championed padel tennis.
Top footballers Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham have also become hooked on the sport.
Brazilian legend Neymar is so passionate he has had two padel courts built in the grounds of his sprawling mansion in Rio de Janeiro.
And Alexander Arnold appears to be following the lead of former boss Jurgen Klopp who had a court installed at Liverpool's training ground and has concentrated on improving his game since quitting the club earlier this year.
But not everyone is such a big fan. Downton Abbey actor Jim Carter complained the game - which is played with solid rather than stringed racquets - generated 'explosive noise'.
Objecting to plans by a local girls' school to build a new court within earshot of his north London home two years ago, Carter described padel tennis as 'an aggressive game with associated aggressive levels of sound from players and equipment'.
Carter, 75, said noise levels bore little resemblance to those created by players of traditional tennis adding: 'A brief visit to the public courts at Regent's Park or Hyde Park reveals that the heavy sound of a padel ball on bat and on side panels drowns out the sounds of tennis.'
Padel: The booming racquet sport enjoyed by celebs and athletes
Quite simply, padel is a mixture of tennis and squash.
It’s played on a 10m by 20m court enclosed by glass walls and metal fencing and is usually played in doubles rather than singles.
The enclosed space and the ability to play shots off the glass means the ball rarely goes out of play, creating longer rallies.
Serving is underarm and the points system is the same as in tennis. The balls used are similar to tennis balls but the racquets are solid with no strings.
There are more than 25 million padel players worldwide, with roughly a 50-50 male-female split.
Though the sport was invented in Mexico in the 1960s, it’s biggest in Argentina and Spain at present but growing in popularity worldwide.