Public Estate & Parks

Local Authorities.

Council sports pitches carry disproportionate public liability exposure and increasing scrutiny from sport governing bodies and grant funders. Portfolio testing turns that into a managed risk.

Local authority sports estates are rarely homogeneous — a typical council might manage anything from a step-3 non-league ground to community rugby pitches to school-shared playing fields. Every one of them carries a Duty of Care under HSWA 1974 and Occupiers' Liability legislation, and every one has a documented expected standard.

Portfolio testing is the model most councils move to once they have more than 5 or 6 pitches. A single scheduled annual visit covers every pitch in the estate, producing consolidated reporting that goes directly into Cabinet papers, insurance renewal submissions and Football Foundation grant applications.

We work with borough councils, county councils, parish councils and arm's-length leisure trusts across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Typical Engagements

How sector clients work with us.

Sports Estate Annual Portfolio Survey

Every pitch in the estate tested on a single visit, with consolidated heatmap reporting and estate-wide benchmarking.

Playing Fields Condition Survey

Strategic review of a council's full playing field stock, informing investment prioritisation across 5-10 year horizons.

Football Foundation Grant Evidence

Pre- and post-renovation testing formatted for Foundation grant reporting requirements.

Insurance Renewal Documentation

UKAS-accredited evidence of pitch compliance as part of EL/PL insurance renewal submissions.

Public Inquiry Support

Expert witness services for public-realm injury claims involving sports surfaces.

What Drives Sector Testing

Why these clients commission us.

01
Ring-fenced budgets under pressure
Parks and leisure budgets are under structural pressure. Portfolio testing surfaces exactly where to invest the remaining capital — not everywhere, the places where it matters.
02
FOI exposure
Councils are routinely FOI'd after sports injury claims. Having UKAS-accredited documentation in place before the request arrives changes the conversation.
03
Grant application conversion
Football Foundation and Sport England grant applications with documented objective pitch data have materially higher success rates.
04
Contractor accountability
Grounds maintenance contractors often deliver work against KPIs. Independent testing proves (or disproves) whether the contract is being delivered.
Case Snapshot

What data-led change looks like.

Anonymised client case
A northern unitary authority brought us in to benchmark 32 council-owned sports pitches across two rounds of testing. Round 1 found only 9 of the 32 met their stated grade requirement; the poorest-performing 6 were candidates for decommissioning. After a targeted renovation programme informed by the data, round 2 saw 21 of 32 in compliance and two new pitches added for grant-funded capacity.

Ready to measure your pitch?

Every test we run is UKAS-accredited and defensible. Tell us about your venue and we'll come back with a fixed written quote within two working hours.

or email info@surfaceperformance.com with your venue and test requirements