A plan to build three outdoor padel courts at the Noordhoek Garden Emporium has been shelved after strong pushback from the community.

The developer, Brendhan Kannemeyer, announced on Monday April 14, that he would no longer pursue the project, which had drawn concern over noise, safety, and incompatibility with the area's rural character.

In a letter to residents dated April 13, Mr Kannemeyer acknowledged the controversy surrounding the padel courts, saying it was never his intention to divide the Noordhoek community.

“Whilst I strongly believe that padel courts meet the criteria of providing services that Noordhoek residents want and need, it has become a controversial matter that has divided the community,” he wrote. “This goes against my intentions.”

Instead, Mr Kannemeyer said he would focus on alternative enhancements to the site, including additional retail space, a restaurant, a wellness centre, and a small office park.

He also unveiled plans to lease a portion of land adjacent to the emporium to construct a broader “Sports Hub” featuring indoor padel courts, a pump track, a small Astro field for soccer, hockey and netball, and a clubhouse.

“I will engage with the community regarding such development with the hope of securing the support for such,” Mr Kannemeyer said.

The reversal comes after weeks of vocal opposition from residents and civic groups.

An online petition against the original plan, by Kelly Burke, gained over 420 signatures. Opponents argued that the open-air courts — operating from 6am to 10pm and located just metres from homes — would bring disruptive noise and light pollution and worsen traffic in an already congested area.

“This is a peaceful rural part of Noordhoek, home to families, horses, and a strong community culture,” Ms Burke wrote in her petition. “The impacts on our quality of life would have been enormous.”

The Noordhoek Ratepayers’ Association (NRPA) had also raised concerns, saying it supported the majority of upgrades to the Garden Emporium and even the idea of padel courts — provided they did not result in noise or light pollution or create traffic problems for neighbouring properties.

“There are ways that the owner could have achieved this, which we discussed with him,” said NRPA chairman Bas Zuidberg.

“But if he insisted on having open courts without adequate mitigating measures, then the NRPA would have had no choice but to object to the land use application when it was submitted. We didn’t think anybody would agree to have these courts 30 metres from their bedroom wall.”

Mr Zuidberg had said that while the NRPA welcomed broader improvements to the Garden Emporium — including the restoration of the restaurant — it could not support the courts in their original form. The group had suggested relocating the courts to a less intrusive area on the property or moving them altogether to the nearby Noordhoek sports fields.

The City of Cape Town had previously acknowledged that it mistakenly approved the building plans before the required land use application process had been completed. Construction was halted, and the project was referred back to the public participation phase.

Now, with the developer’s pivot toward a community-oriented indoor facility, the conversation appears to be shifting.

The NRPA and other local groups have signalled that they remain open to development that aligns with the Noordhoek Local Area Spatial Development Framework (LASDF), which calls for low-impact, rural-style planning that integrates with the community.

Ms Burke welcomed the withdrawal of the original plan and expressed cautious optimism about what may come next.

“I think it’s a win,” she said. “I think it’s great that he’s listened to the community. That means a lot, especially with all the development pressures happening in Noordhoek. I don’t want to call it a victory for the small people — that sounds wrong — but it’s nice to know our voices were heard and respected. That’s awesome.

“And if he’s involved in securing a lease with the City for that other land to build the sports hub, I think it’ll be a massive win for the whole community. If everyone can make use of those new facilities, it would be fantastic for Noordhoek all around.”

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