Today a tour of Chessington and Hook Football Club pitches this afternoon with Thames Water to discuss drainage and increased flooding of the ground following the Network Rail raised embankment clearing of trees and undergrowth last year which have left 200 children without a pitch to play on for weeks on end now following heavy rains and water-logging .
Replanting and drainage channels and the clay devil were topics of the day. Grounds solutions cost a fortune unfortunately .
Thank you to Nial and Amber for their time, expertise and advice and offer of community support for our grounds .
Also thanks to CEO of Kingston Council - Kingston Stronger Together for agreeing to support our search for solutions.
Here is her answer to my letter below (good news!)
Dear Helen,
Thank you for your email. I have asked colleagues to be in touch with Mr Ellis directly.
Thanks
S
FA S Chief Executive Royal Borough of Kingston
Dear S
A, Manager of Chessington and Hook Football Club (cc) kindly invited me over to do a walkabout on the pitches where every week nearly 200 children play football - except sadly since trees and foliage were cut down last year on the rail embankment above the pitches, they remain water-logged and training is invariably cancelled. The trees along the railway line used do a good job at draining the water on the embankment which now just runs off on to the pitch.
We feel we are letting down our local children and I have been so impressed by the dedication of the local team and coaches working with Andrew who know that our kids live for their football.
Can I invite you down to Chessington to do a walk about with me and the team to see whether there are any environmental expertise suggestions you might have to help us with the drainage of the grounds and get the kids back to their favourite day of the week ?
If the drainage problem is insurmountable then the other option is to astroturf. There is also a potential partnership with Chessington School (where I am a new governor) which could see the club and the school sharing the resource across the school day and out of school evenings and weekends.
The club already has a stadium, flood lights, changing facilities, club house, a bar a cafe and a restaurant and offer 3 pitches plus astroturf pitches so there has already been so much investment in this club that delivers such huge advantages to the family and children of Chessington that to find it now recently out of use due to months of flooding is such a huge waste and disappointment to the community - not to mention loss of health and fitness advantage.
We are very grateful for your consideration.
Kind regards
Helen
Helen Edward | Parliamentary Candidate Kingston & Surbiton
3 Bridle Cl, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2JW
