Mepal Parish Council

Mepal Recreation Field Update

Many of you will be aware of the long-standing past issues with the surface level of the recreation field and the unstable drainage lines. Over the past 2 years the Parish Council have devoted considerable additional time to this project, whilst also trying to get the Pavilion back open and working after a prolonged closure period. At times this feels like a thankless task, but under the terms of the substantial grant awarded to the Parish Council by the Football Foundation in the past, we have an obligation to meet the commitments for the field for several years to come.

We consulted with several contractors, as well as studying the many past reports over the years from various assessments and photographic evidence and re-read the substantial documented work by previous Parish Councillors.

This work has reached the following conclusions:

  • There are some areas of the lines that do not have the full depth of gravel at the bottom, however this does not contribute to shrinkage of the lines, and is only detrimental to drainage (which is not a reported problem)
  • The previous so-called ‘saucer’ in the area between the playpark and old spoils heap used as a holding ‘pond’ was inadequate to allow water to drain rapidly from the field and away which results in the clay soil holding the excess rainfall and expanding, exacerbating the issue
  • Due to the high costs, a full programme of verti-draining and compaction of any air pockets generated by the expanding clay was not in place during the initial 5 years after the drainage installation
  • The grass coverage over the lines never knitted in properly resulting in continued damage during pitch use and a lack of a carpet of grass over the lines, again emphasising the drop in level further.

Following this extensive investigation, in 2020 the Parish Council resolved to use the earmarked reserves that were being held to meet the agreed drainage obligations under the former grant process to carry out the following work:

  • Installation of a proper attenuation Pond
  • Repeated vertidraining and compaction of lines to level the surface
  • Repeated reseeding, overseeding, weeding and top ups of the lines to properly establish a knitted grass coverage over the lines
  • Target September 2021 to complete the work

Unfortunately, the first Covid lockdown in March 2020 had a major impact on our planned timescales and delayed commencement of the work. Our revised plan had been to carry out a final reseeding in August 2021, having missed the optimum window in March 2021, resulting in poor germination. We revised the date we hoped to finish to January 2022, but unfortunately, issues with contractor’s labour and fuel shortages meant that we experienced additional issues that delayed their getting to site to carry out the final element of works.

Our contractors have advised that they

….. have now completed the final top up of soil which has fully alleviated the issues of the sunken drains and making the field safe to play, the bare drain runs are really starting to close up fast, as the grass sword establishes the root system deepens the thatch will naturally thicken and completely cover any remaining bare areas.   We had initially hoped this would occur quickly and well in advance of the January deadline. Regrettably we would like to push the handover date back to April, we feel with the investment made and being so close to complete rectification of the drainage system and grass establishment, it may be too much of a risk damaging the early germinating grass sword and undoing all the good work.

We are disappointed that this further delay causes several problems to those wanting to use the field and that further comments made by one of the contractors ground staff has only exaggerated the issue, when regrettably he is not able to speak on their behalf and his opinion is that of his own and without consequence!

We recently received this written confirmation from the contractor of previous verbal advice:

I believe the best outcome would be to hold out a few more months allowing for complete coverage and ensuring the playing surface will remain in top condition for years to come.
It is based on this advice that the Councillors advised the Clerk that under delegated powers we were not willing to jeopardise the success of the work and risk wasting the large expenditure already committed. The decision was therefore that the field would not be in a guaranteed condition to avoid damage if played on weekly from January, as this would be less than 8 weeks from the date of seeding.
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