CULCHETH High School is seeking planning permission to replace a sand based 2G Astroturf surface with a 3rd Generation Artificial Grass Pitch (3G AGP) carpet surface to meet the needs of local football teams.
With the existing pitch now 19 years-old, the school is seeking permission to upgrade it following a decline in hockey use and the increasing needs of local football teams.
The school approached the Warrington Borough Council Sports Infrastructure Development Manager in November 2019, with the aim of developing a business case to enable Sport England and England Hockey to release the Culcheth High School pitch for the change of carpet to a 3G AGP surface. In January 2020, three years of previous hockey bookings on the Culcheth High School site were shared by Livewire, the onsite leisure company at that time. From January 2017 to January 2020, there had been a total of 31 bookings made on site for Hockey, however
23 of them in 2019 were due to the displacement of a hockey club, following poor pitch maintenance and flooding at the main playing sites. This was rectified in 2020.
Historic bookings show an average of 4 booking per year at an average of 3 hours per booking. Due to limited sports participation through lockdown, the collection of evidence of the level of Hockey bookings from March 2020 to March 2021 was impacted at times due to COVID measures but unlike other sports, there were no hockey bookings made during that time.
Since 29th March 2021 up to 31st March 2023, there have been 28 bookings due to delayed opening of other pitches for various reasons following COVID and works carried out on other pitches in the borough. Both England Hockey and Sport England are aware of the site’s need to change the surface.
A recent playing pitch assessment undertaken at the end of 2022, shows the demand for hockey has changed since the last assessment in which the Culcheth site was included as part of the Hockey need. As a result, the assessment releases the Culcheth High School site form this provision and recognises the need for a 3G surface to replace the current 2G surface, to meet the demand of the school’s curriculum and local community.
There is significant demand for football in the Culcheth area and the Culcheth High School site Astroturf pitch is used predominantly by Culcheth High School (CHS) and for community Football. Although the sites sand based pitch is designated as a hockey site by the Warrington Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) pre 2004 when the pitch was installed, the pitch is protected by Sport England from change of the carpet to 3G AGP unless there is sufficient hockey provision elsewhere in the borough, which following the latest playing pitch strategy assessment, shows the demand has changed and identifies the Culcheth High School site as being the prime location to change the carpet from 2G to 3G.
The works have no environmental impact as the current pitch is not being changed in shape or size, simply just the old carpet removed and new carpet lay on top of the current shock pads. In line with the recent playing pitch strategy, the historical bookings show there has been very little hockey use of the sand-based pitch at Culcheth. The two hockey clubs in Warrington are based in the south neighbourhood area.
The school says the 3G AGP conversion going ahead, would satisfy the changing school curriculum needs which at present are needed to be supported by the use of other 3G pitches within the borough and in some occasions having to use pitches at neighbouring boroughs. The playing pitch strategy assessment shows significant football demand based on a 3G AGP supporting 38 teams. The Lancashire County FA reported 31 teams in the Culcheth Area. Additionally, the changing of the carpet means no loss of grass provision nor impact to the environment.
“Upgrading to a 3G surface makes strategic sense for the education of our students and commercial sense for CHS Hire, benefiting our local community immensely.”
Warrington Borough Council Planners will make a decision under delegated powers.
1 Comment
So this closes down the option of the pitch to be used for hockey. A similar strategy across the borough will remove the capacity for Warrington BC to host hockey clubs or matches