Across The Slatter Group, we have a combined 90+ years’ expertise in the design, construction, and maintenance of sports pitches.
Our sister company White Horse Contractors partner with hybrid turf innovators GrassMaster Solutions for the design and construction of hybrid turf sports pitches.
You can get in touch with our team to discuss your needs or read on to learn more about hybrid grass pitches.
We have a proud heritage of sports pitch construction, working across a variety of sectors and levels, from grassroots to elite sport.
With in-house expertise spanning design and planning, finance and funding, construction and maintenance, civil engineering, and ancillary works, we offer a one-stop-shop for project delivery.
Partnering with the industry leading inventors of hybrid turf, GrassMaster Solutions, White Horse Contractors design, build, maintain and renovate hybrid turf pitches for sports clubs and schools.
Call or email for an informal chat about your new natural turf pitch.
Wasps RFC's hybrid turf pitch constructed by White Horse Contractors
There are 9 key stages in the construction of a hybrid turf pitch, however these will vary depending on factors such as size, sport and location.
1. Design and planning
At this stage, the design specification for your hybrid pitch will be created, based on your brief and requirements.
These designs will be submitted as part of the planning application, with technical designs produced for the construction of the pitch once planning permission is granted.
2. Environmental considerations
Drainage and water run-off management will be factored in based on the location of the pitch and design specifications, to mitigate the environmental impact.
3. Health and safety
Crucial on any construction site, this stage ensures a carefully planned project that adheres to all legislative requirements and best safety practices.
4. Earthworks
A top-performing sports pitch requires expert groundworks to support effective drainage, surface performance and longevity.
5. Drainage
A high performance drainage system will be installed to support the performance and quality of your hybrid turf. This can be made into a SuD system for water storage.
6. Pitch profile
Hybrid pitches are constructed with a suspended water table, which includes a gravel raft, specially selected lower root zone and bespoke blend of upper root zone.
7. Hybrid surface
Depending on your site-specific needs, this will either be a stitched hybrid surface, e.g. GrassMaster or a lay and play system, such as PlayMaster.
8. Ancillary equipment
This will include any sports equipment such as goals and rugby posts, as well as fencing, floodlighting, soil monitoring technology, sports buildings and car parks.
9. Renovations
As with natural turf, annual renovations for hybrid turf are critical and must be carried out using specialist equipment with experienced staff.
Hybrid turf pitches utilise 100% natural grass, reinforced with millions of specialist fibres injected deep into the rootzone for maximum stability, performance, and longevity.
Hybrid turf pitches are most commonly used for football and rugby, where they are used at the highest levels of national and international competition, such as the Premier League, FIFA World Cup and Rugby World Cup.
Most top-flight football and rugby teams have hybrid turf stadia pitches, as they offer the performance of a high-quality natural grass pitch with the benefit of longer playing hours, consistent performance, and better pitch stability.
These benefits are also perfectly suited for schools who wish to maximise usage of their outdoor pitches. White Horse Contractors were thrilled to deliver the first hybrid turf pitch to be installed at an Independent School in the UK.
The section above outlines the stages of hybrid sports pitch construction, and you can find out more about maintenance further down the page.
GrassMaster installation at Whitgift School
Constructed by White Horse Contractors
Typically, a full-sized hybrid turf pitch would cost between £500,000 – £1.5m. The cost will depend on the chosen hybrid system, size of the pitch, sporting specifications and any ancillary items.
The main factors that will impact the overall pitch cost are:
Additional work is also often required in the form of ancillary equipment (team shelters, pavilions, spectator areas) and civil engineering (access pathways, hard standings, roadways and car parks), so this may need to be factored into your costs.
Please get in touch if you’d like an example of a detailed breakdown of project costs, or a quote on the cost of building a hybrid turf pitch based on your requirements.
Design and planning generally takes up the largest proportion of any project timeline.
Once planning is granted, a construction programme will be agreed for the build of your new hybrid pitch, however typically the length of time on-site to construct will take between 3-8 weeks.
In the case of hybrid turf, this will also vary depending on the type of surface chosen.
For a ‘lay and play’ option, such as PlayMaster, the natural turf is grown within the hybrid system at a specialist nursery. This system is generally installed and ready to play within a week.
Many clubs and schools fund the construction of their pitches through capital expenditure, however there are grants and finance options available to eligible organisations.
It’s worth checking with organisations such as Sport England or sport-specific governing bodies, to find out what funds may be available to help with your hybrid pitch project.
Aside from grant funding, there are alternative finance solutions available for eligible organisations, such as finance leases and hire purchase agreements.
We partner exclusively with Buckingham Leasing to provide competitive funding solutions (subject to approval) for sports facility construction.
Find out more on our funding page.
Ultimately, the lifespan of a hybrid turf pitch will depend on the quality of construction, chosen surface, and maintenance. Our sister company White Horse Contractors partner with GrassMaster Solutions, and their iconic GrassMaster stitched system is the only hybrid grass system with a proven lifespan of 15 years or more.
As with any sports pitch, whether hybrid, artificial or natural, it’s important to ensure appropriate usage and maintenance to maximise the lifespan, performance, and safety of your pitch.
A GrassMaster hybrid pitch can deliver up to 1000 playing hours per season, delivering greater usage than a natural turf pitch, ensuring greater ROI over its lifespan.
A lay and play pitch, whilst faster to install, typically has a smaller lifespan, between 1 – 4 years.
Hybrid turf pitches that pass the necessary Performance Quality Standards (PQS) for each governing body are suitable for all levels of rugby and football, for both match play and training.
Not only this, but hybrid turf is the field of choice for elite sport, featured at iconic stadia such as Wembley and Twickenham. In fact, over ¾ of Premier League football clubs play and train on GrassMaster hybrid pitches!
With unmatched in-house expertise, our dedicated teams will work with you to design, specify and construct a hybrid turf pitch that meets the requirements of your chosen sport, budgetary needs and any relevant governing body PQS.
Contact us to discuss your needs.
As with natural and artificial turf, maintenance for hybrid turf pitches is crucial to protect their performance, integrity and lifespan.
Good maintenance is critical for plant health on a hybrid turf pitch. Feeding and watering regimes should be carefully monitored to ensure a healthy environment for the plant – especially within a stadium environment. Technology such as growth lights may be required.
Feeding, watering and aeration is a critical part of both annual renovation and maintenance throughout the year, with removal of organic material during renovation particularly important for hybrid systems.
Get in touch with our team for more information.
S&C Slatter and our sister company White Horse Contractors are specialists in the construction of natural, hybrid and artificial turf sports pitches.
With in-house design and planning, civil engineering and maintenance divisions, we offer a one-stop-shop service, providing one point of contact from initial concept through to completion.
For more information call 01635 34521 or email enquiries@slattersportsconstruction.com
