News & match reports

Notice to the club
17th September 2009

Lewes Rugby Football Club – Improving Facilities 2009

There is always a period in a Club's life when facilities which, although adequate when they were installed, become too old, too small and unsuitable for the modern game. Lewes RFC is at that stage now: what was good 30 years ago, now needs substantial modernisation. The Club’s Board appointed a small working group to make recommendations – and a brief summary is given below. The situation is very complicated – we are in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, soon to be in a National Park. The Ground is owned by a Charity, controlled by Lewes District Council, who has other priorities than Sport. We have had a 70 year link with Priory Cricket Club – to our mutual advantage – but now extend our Season into theirs, with consequent problems.

Where we are now and what we have now

Lewes RFC, after 20 years of being one the strongest clubs in the South-East, play at level 7 and now rank about fifth in a County of 41 clubs. We run 3 Senior, a full complement of Mini, Junior, Girls and Womens teams, and, including Players, Coaches, and non-players have over 640 members. With Lewes Priory Cricket Club, we are the largest Youth organisation in Lewes.

Generally regarded as a well run Club, we attained the coveted ‘Clubmark – RFU Seal of Approval’ for our provision of Youth rugby, and were judged best in the South-East. We have trouble attracting senior XV players in competition with clubs offering ‘inducements’, and of course, Lewes has a considerably smaller local population than most of our rival Clubs.

The Stanley Turner Ground (of which Rugby is about one-third) extends across the Cockshut and is owned by the Stanley Turner Recreation Ground Charity, controlled by Lewes DC, who hire Wyevale Ltd. to maintain the pitches and Changing rooms. We have no long term security of tenure – just 70 years of use. We have three Senior pitches – two of which have Training lights, the Senior pitch having a Grandstand (one of only two in Sussex) and perimeter fencing. We also have a field for Junior Rugby, and because of pressure on space, the Cricket Club allow us to use their outfield for part of the Season, which helps, but does not solve the problem.

We combine with Lewes Priory CC under the umbrella of Lewes Sports Club, to hold a lease on the Clubroom, built 30 years ago, and we share the running costs of about £9000 a year. We run the Club from September to April – and take Bar and food profits. The lease expires in November, but we have the right of a limited renewal. We have re-equipped the Clubroom in recent years, and expect to continue to do so.

The Changing rooms – (the Pavilion), were built in 1937 and re-furbished in 1979. Since then, fairly minor maintenance has been done, and the facilities, although reasonably extensive, are in need of total replacement to meet modern standards of hygiene, safety and environmental impact.

Parking at the Ground has not been extended since 1979, despite the increase in Junior and Female members following the boom in rugby over the last 30 years. We have made repeated efforts to expand along the Waterworks road, but have been blocked by the various agencies. The situation is worst on Sunday mornings, and causes considerable friction with local residents.

What we want to achieve

More playing areas, more parking, better changing facilities, and a Social area that we can manage to provide an income from outside users.

Playing areas

In years gone by, pitches were used for one game and a couple of training sessions a week. Now, they are used at least 3 times over a weekend, and trained on 3 or 4 nights a week, by a membership of 150 Senior Players, 350 Juniors (from 254 Families) and 136 Non-Players. These figures include over 50 female players from 12 upwards.

Combined with the cost–conscious (=minimal) ground maintenance, this results in serious overuse. Our thriving Juniors and Minis need more pitches, and we will propose that we take over part of the Stanley Turner Ground across the Cockshut currently let as farmland, and lay out two pitches. This land is of course low-lying and undrained, but even if it cannot be used mid-winter, it will take the pressure off other pitches for a least half the season. With warmer weather expected in future, we can expect prolonged use in future years. We will look to secure our tenure on all our pitches, and to take over the maintenance ourselves, this could be by a long lease, or by assuming charitable status. We know that Lewes DC wants to divest itself of all responsibility for Sports areas, although that could change with a different political party.

Parking

As noted, some Parking could easily be provided along the Waterworks road, but long-term the only solution is to use a substantial area of current playing fields. We are proposing that the Football pitches are moved to the field currently used for Junior rugby, and about half of the current Football area is surfaced, with the remainder being used for Junior rugby, as well as a considerably larger area across the Cockshut.

Social and Changing Facilities

We considered that in view of Planning constraints, it would be better to adapt the existing Pavilion, rather than replace it. This may have to be changed, dependent on the authorities’ views and cost, but we have based our plans on converting it to Changing rooms on the Ground floor and an enlarged Social area on the First floor. Whatever happens, a substantial internal re-furbishment must be undertaken soon, as the present installations are already obsolete, unreliable and unhealthy.

Modern regulations for Changing rooms, now require much more space than is now available, and our requirement for 8 changing rooms, plus Officials (for both sexes) mean that to get funding we will need to use a space about the size of the existing Clubroom in addition. This could either be new-build on the same base, or a conversion of the Clubroom.

For the Pavilion, a steel framework would be inserted, to support the building, and extend by 2-3 metres with a wall on the East (Cricket) side, (without impinging on their boundary). The interior would be removed and a first floor extending across the old Grandstand seating would hold a new Social area. New facilities would include Changing rooms, Kitchen, Bar and Stores, including access and toilets for the Disabled, and balconies on both sides. The second floor would be extended slightly to provide an Office and Committee room. The whole building would be environmentally efficient, with solar heating, enhanced insulation, and water re-use. The visual effect would be greatly improved, especially to the West elevation (Cricket side)

That then, in simple terms is the Plan: (Draft layouts are available)
(i) More Pitches across the Cockshut
(ii) Re-build the Pavilion to provide Changing rooms, Social area and Office, with proper facilities for the disabled, and with modern environmentally friendly and hygienicplumbing, water management and insulation.
(iii) Additional Changing rooms on the site of the current Clubroom.
(iv) Proper Parking provision.

At this stage, our next step is to talk to all Club members, Lewes DC, the Charity Commission and the Council Planners. That in itself will take some time. We then, and only then, will start raising the considerable sum of money involved. Both these activities will need the active support of all club members, players, parents, and supporters.

At present, our need is constructive criticism, and above all the help of professionally qualified people who can advise and assist us.

Over to you – its your Club.

 

Ask Nick Page, Dereck Wade or Tony Spencer if you would like us to come and talk to you – or if you can offer help.

 

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