Plans for a new racquet and wellness facility in Marlow have been recommended for refusal by planning officers.

Phil Basford of Marlow Racquet Club Ltd submitted an application seeking permission to demolish an existing dwelling and construct a racquet centre on Fieldhouse Lane.

According to the Design and Access Statement, the scheme would feature eight covered outdoor padel courts, one outdoor tennis court, and two outdoor pickleball courts.

The clubhouse structure would accommodate a members’ lounge, a wellness studio, steam room, sauna, changing facilities, two offices, a retail shop, a bar area and catering facilities, plant and servicing facilities, together with a covered terraced area on the ground floor.

A first floor terraced area is to be created within the roof slope. A new open wire perimeter fence is proposed to be erected around the boundaries of the site, in a dark green colour.

The proposal is scheduled to be considered by the West Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee. A report prepared for the committee recommends that the application be refused.

It says the proposed development would not preserve the openness of the green belt it sits in.

“The proposal is therefore inappropriate development in the green belt which attracts substantial weight against the development,” it said.

“While it is acknowledged that there are some benefits associated with the proposed development, it is not considered that these attract such weight which amounts to very special circumstances which would clearly outweigh the harm identified.”

It added that the development by reason of its scale, siting and design would result in an “incongruous and urban form of development” which planners said would be “unsympathetic” to the established open and rural character of the surrounding area.

Marlow Town Council has objected to the plans, citing environmental harm. Cllr Alex Collingwood, a Buckinghamshire Cllr who represents Marlow has called for the application to be heard at a committee.

But in the plans, it says the proposal seeks to reuse the “underutilised land” for outdoor sport and recreation.

“A use that is not inappropriate in the Green Belt policy when it does not compromise openness,” it added.

“The development includes a barn style clubhouse and low-rise sporting courts, with a design that minimises built form and respects the open quality of the wider setting.

“Landscaping and planting will soften the site edges and help visually integrate the development into its surroundings.

“The introduction of a high-quality, multi-sport facility — including padel courts, tennis, and pickleball — would deliver meaningful community and health benefits, helping to meet an identified and pressing need for additional sports provision.”