Bad surprise in Bruges for the club KTC Azalea. Justice has decided that it is temporarily forbidden to practice padel in the evening and on Sundays. It is the neighbors who are behind this complaint about the noise of the infrastructures.
Due to the nuisance caused by the land and the windows of the padel, the president of KTC Azalea, Tom Vuylsteke, will have to reduce the playing hours. “We absolutely did not expect this. Apparently, an embittered neighbor can cause such a situation”, déclare-t-il à nos confrères du The Latest News.
Established in 1942, the KTC Azalea has six tennis courts. Since 2018, the last court has been transformed into two padel courts, a racket sport that has been in fashion for a few years. A third course even saw the light of day a year later, given the success of the discipline. But since this third court, two neighbors no longer support the noise pollution present at night and also in winter, unlike tennis.
“We even run away from our own house to be comfortable. It’s not livable like that”. Therefore, they demanded that padel activities be stopped until the grounds are soundproof. According to the referred judge, the verdict is clear: padel matches can be played between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. On Saturday, the matches must even stop at 4 p.m. On Sundays and public holidays, pending an additional decision, padel will be prohibited.
For the president of KTC Azalea, the disappointment is very great. “It’s sad for everyone involved at the club. We knew something was going to happen, but it’s ridiculous. A player who has a family or works full time can hardly come to play. And stop At 4 p.m. on a Saturday? That’s ridiculously early. These are far-reaching measures, even if it’s a temporary decision. We’re waiting for the case to be heard on the merits, yes. But “This case won’t be heard by the Magistrate’s Court until December. So we’re already losing at least six months. We’re going to do everything we can to keep our club viable by then.” he explains to HLN.