Stoneham Lane Natural Turf Pitch Constructions

“The natural turf pitches got their first use last weekend… feedback from the Leisure Operator and users has been really positive about the quality of the pitches, so a big thank you to all for your efforts in preparing the pitches to get them ready for handover.”

– Harry Lee, Corporate Project Officer, Eastleigh Borough Council

White Horse Contractors constructed four new natural turf football pitches at Eastleigh Borough Council’s Stoneham Lane Complex to assist grassroots football in the community for years to come. The project designer for this project was expert sports surface consultants TGMS.

Key Achievements



  • Construction of four natural turf football pitches to Sport England Level 5 Standard

  • Exceeded specified Performance Quality Standards

  • Overcame unusually hard ground to create a safe playing surface

  • Designed and installed an efficient, effective, drainage system

  • Completed the project to agreed timescales and budget



The Challenge



To mitigate the loss of existing pitches to a new housing development on the south coast, Eastleigh Borough Council required a contractor to construct new natural turf pitches at a new football hub; the Stoneham Lane Football Complex.

Supported by grant funding from the Football Foundation, Sport England and the Premier League, as well as Section 106 contributions from the North Stoneham Development, the council appointed Smiths Construction as principal contractor for the £9m project.

With the new season fast approaching the search began for a proven specialist in natural turf pitch construction who could execute the transformation of unusually hard, fallow, land into four natural turf football pitches that would meet Sport England Level 4 standards.

The Solution



Impressed with our extensive record of success in natural turf pitch construction, and our proven experience in drainage design and installation, we were selected to construct the four football pitches.

Once specifications were received and planning was in place our team commenced work, employing our subsoiler to dry excessively wet soil, to enable cultivations to begin.

A highly effective lateral sports drainage system was installed across the site and the team ensured the new pitches would meet the required playing standards for years to come. This key objective was achieved with the new pitches exceeding the specified standards to achieve a Sport England Level 5 performance quality rating.

Throughout the project, the White Horse team, led by Contracts Manager Tom Iles, collaborated closely with Eastleigh Borough Council’s sports surface consultants TGMS to successfully realise their designs. TGMS’s Senior Consultant Matt Young recognised our expertise:

“The pitches are of a very good quality and you should be happy with what has been achieved… the quality of the drainage installation, maintenance, and levels are excellent and a testament to White Horse Contractors hard work.”

Matt Young, Senior Consultant, TGMS

Results



White Horse Contractors completed the construction of the four natural turf pitches on time and budget to a standard which exceeded the project specification, Sport England Type 5 Performance Quality Standard.

The highly effective drainage system maximises pitch availability in times of inclement weather and supports pitch longevity to maximise return on investment for Eastleigh Borough Council.

White Horse Contractors are proud to have constructed the natural turf pitches at the new Stoneham Lane Complex and wish all the teams utilising these exceptional playing surfaces success in the future. Find out more about our natural turf sports pitch construction services.

For more information call 01865 736272 or email whc@whitehorsecontractors.co.uk