WATFORD DEVELOPMENT CONTINUED
Accordingly, a Tree Protection Plan was developed, to satisfy the Parks Tree Manager and we also submitted evidence to demonstrate that the borehole pump is inaudible, however formal approval required a formal Discharge of Conditions application which takes a further 6 weeks to complete. We eventually received acceptance on 15th April and work could finally proceed. After several delays, Smith & Webb started the drilling operation on 30th May. The early progress was quite slow, due to the layers of gravel and flint below the top surface. The expected chalk strata was reached after 9 meters and finally the water table located at a depth of 14 meters, which was a great relief to the Trustees. This was consistent with the predicted hydrogeological survey and drilling continued to a depth of 45/50 meters, at which point a 5” diameter plastic pipe was inserted into the borehole and the manhole pit prepared. The water supply was tested and confirmed we have suitable flow rates and pressure to install the appropriate model of pump, two weeks after drilling started. At the beginning of July the contractors installed the borehole pump and at their recommendation a 100 liter pressure vessel within the pavilion, which would enable the Club to control the pressure to the sprinklers, thus avoiding any pressure surges. The next phase of the project was to lay a pipework ‘ring main’ around the four courts. r this, Simon Hatherell spent many hours designing the layout of the irrigation pipework and the sprinkler coverage to cover all parts of the courts. At this stage the Club decided on a DIY approach to reduce the costs. The appropriate amount of pipework, connectors and 16 Rainbird sprinkler heads were ordered and delivered. The only question was whether we hire in a trenching machine to dig the trenches ourselves, Ultimately, sense prevailed, and we opted to hire with an operator, who completed the work in one day on 10th July. With the help of volunteers from the club, the pipework was laid, joints tightened and connected to the sprinkler heads, which had their own pits dug separately. After Simon had wired up the heads, we were ready to connect and test the water flow and adjust the distribution to the lawns. In the last two weeks of July members have been backfilling the trenches and there remains an amount of spoil to be disposed of, at which time we will apply a mix of topsoil and grass seed. In the meantime, the automatic sprinkler system had been programmed to water the courts every evening for a minimum of one hour each and we are operational. Finally, a big thank you to Croquet England and East Anglia Croquet Federation for their generous grants, but also to Club members for their subscriptions, participation in Croquet England tournaments and those who made donations along with Gift Aid.
Experiences from this project ‐Keep members informed. ‐Register for Gift Aid if a CIO. Start talking to the local authorities at the earliest. Be prepared for long waits to get an answer. ‐Get to know your Planning Officer and be prepared for Planning surprises! ‐Make an allowance for contingencies and legal fees. ‐Talk to other clubs and take advice. ‐Definitely use an operative to dig the trenches.
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 16
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease