Sport Pitches

Spelthorne has a variety of junior and adult football pitches available for hire at six locations throughout the borough. Our pitches are available for hire throughout the year for block booking and casual hire at competitive prices, however, you will need to provide Public Liability Insurance.

Please note preference will be given to Clubs, the majority of whose members are residents in the borough.

The Council reserves the right to cancel any letting at any time if necessary.

How do I book?

A minimum of two weeks notice is required for a pitch booking.

To book a pitch:

• email customer.services@spelthorne.gov.uk

Sport pitches - conditions of hire

Applications for hire

• in the interest of your Club you are requested to forward a copy of your fixture list together with your completed application form and a copy of your club's Public Liability Insurance as soon as possible
• the Club and the Secretaries names which appear on the Application Form shall be deemed to be the Hirer and shall be responsible for compliance with all rules, regulations or requirements made or laid down from time to time by the Council in respect of the use of the grounds and premises and shall be deemed to be the responsible person nominated to be in charge while the event is being held

Charges

• on being notified that the application has been granted and the amount of the charges, the Club must pay for the hire of the sports pitches not less than four working days in advance and not later than the Tuesday noon preceding weekend play. This ruling will be strictly adhered to, failure to comply will result in the pitch being re-let on Wednesday after 12 noon or cancellation in lieu made in writing to give the same period of notice. Cheques should be crossed and made payable to the Spelthorne Borough Council, and a receipt(s) in the form of dated playing permits will be issued to the payee
• clubs must notify Customer Services of any cancellations, at least four working days, prior to the event to allow time to re-allocate the pitch. Where notification is given after the event date No refund or transfer will be given, including when matches are cancelled by opposition teams
• payment for all or a portion of the Club's reservations for the season may be made in advance and the required number of permits obtained from Customer Services, suitably dated
• double headers - Customer Services must be informed when Clubs intended to play a double header ie two games one after the other, and an additional charge of half the normal rate will be made
• payment can be made at the Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 1XB, on:
  Monday - Thursday 8.45am - 4.45pm
  Friday 8.45am - 4.30pm

The Hirer

• no play shall be allowed unless a playing permit, suitably dated and issued as a receipt for the hire payment, is shown to the groundsman on duty immediately before the match is to take place
• in the event of any damage to the building or furniture or the loss or breakage of any article or property owned by the Council either during the period of hire or at any other time during which the hirer or any person associated with him/her shall be using the premises for any purpose, the expense of replacing or making good the same shall be borne by the hirer. Clubs are advised that the washing of football kits within the shower area is strictly prohibited, an additional charge will be levied on any Club who does not adhere to this condition
• where a refund is required, the playing permits should be forwarded to Customer Services who will arrange reimbursement
• where playing permits have been issued for advanced bookings, credit may be obtained in respect of cancellations by returning the appropriate permits in time for them to be received by Customer Services not less than four working days before the fixture is due to take place, and not later that the Tuesday noon preceding weekend play
• in the case of a pitch being unfit on the day of play, the groundsman or referee will suitably endorse the permit and hand it back to the club to obtain the necessary credit from Customer Services
• the attention of Club Secretaries is drawn to car parking problems in the district; nuisance and sometimes damage is caused by the other cars of members of football clubs and their followers when parked on main roads and grassed areas adjoining recreation grounds
• where car parking provisions at Recreation Grounds are known to be inadequate, perhaps the Secretaries would assist by requesting their members to co-operate in preventing car parking problems arising, by not parking on grass verges, by parking their car off main roads and by using alternative Council car park facilities where they exist near to Recreation Grounds

The Council

• the Council does not accept any responsibility for injury, damage or loss howsoever caused to any persons or in respect of any articles or goods brought onto the premises by the hirer or any other person
• the Council reserve the right at any time and without previous notice to cancel any booking of the premises and in such case the amount paid by the hirer (or the proportionate part thereof in the case of a hiring for a series of occasions) shall be refunded. The hirer shall have no further claim whatsoever against the Council in respect of the hiring or on account of the cancellation thereof

Limitation of liability

• the Council's liability in the event that the premises or any equipment are not available, or a hiring is cancelled for whatever reason shall be limited to and shall not exceed the hiring charge

Failure to observe conditions

• if the hirer omits or refuses to comply with these conditions or with any reasonable instructions given to him/her by the Head of Administration Services, or designated officer, for the time being he/she and any person/s associated with him/her may be excluded from the premises until he/she complies with the same but without relieving him/her from his other obligations under this Agreement. The Council shall be entitled to retain for their own use and benefit any monies paid by way of deposit and to sue for any balance outstanding

Damage or loss of property and accidents

• in no circumstances will the Council accept responsibility for the loss, theft, and damage to any goods or property of the Hirer or any visitor to the premises
• the Hirer shall indemnify the Council, their officers and servants against all claims, demands, actions or proceedings in respect of the death of or injury to any person or damage to, loss of property belonging to any person arising out of the use of the hall otherwise than as a result of the defective condition of the hall or the Council's equipment or the negligence of the Council, its agents, officers or servants

Insurance

• clubs hiring Council facilities must have Public Liability Insurance for a minimum indemnity limit of £5 million. A copy of the certificate of insurance must be provided before a booking can be confirmed

Surrey County Playing Fields Association

The County Playing Fields Association is dedicated to protecting peoples rights to access local outdoor community facilities for sport, play and recreation. They have 33 local county bodies. Collectively they lobby Government and policymakers to make a difference for the local communities in which they serve.

For more information contact Shirley Winson, Surrey County Playing Fields Borough Development Officer for Spelthorne at s.winson@care4free.net.