“For a number of years Milford Football Club had been playing matches on overlapping pitches due to the limited space at its recreation ground and several old hard-core tennis courts that were buried beneath part of its surface. The club approached the Parish Council, who own the land, to see if this could be addressed. The Parish Council agreed that funds available should be spent on this project.
As Parish Clerk I have a duty to provide the best use of public money when it comes to projects such as this and as such had to obtain three different quotes.
I approached Duncan Fox from Lymington Ground Care to provide a quote and to give advice on the clearing of the site which included the removal of a large tree and the digging up of the old tennis courts, levelling the ground, re-seeding and the relocation of a water supply. Not only was Duncan’s quote the most competitive, the advice and knowledge he gave on all stages of the project put the Parish Councils mind at ease when choosing the contractor to work with.
Duncan also worked very well with representatives of the football and cricket clubs, both of which had an input as to whom the contract should be awarded.
Being an open space used by many children as well as some adults, Duncan was very conscious about the safety element of the project. Secure fencing was provided and all representatives were given his mobile number in case of emergencies, unauthorised personnel were not permitted on site without high viz jackets and appropriate footwear.
Work started on time and continued at a great pace, the football and cricket clubs as well as the Parish Council were kept informed of progress and consulted at different stages. I must say that we are all very pleased with the final outcome of this project.
In addition to this, the Parish Council agreed to undertake some further improvements to the playing surface of the Recreation Ground and it was without hesitation that I asked Duncan to undertake this work. Duncan is undertaking Verti-Draining twice a year and this has already produced benefits in that no football matches have been cancelled this season. Duncan is also going to undertake ground work to the worn goal areas and fertilise the pitches to produce a better playing surface at the Recreation Ground.
We are very happy with what Duncan and his team have done for us and would not hesitate to recommend him to undertake further work in the future.”
