Last updated October 2026
Cheshire is split between four unitary councils, so a markings, play area or court job starts with knowing which one you are in. We price a markings layout once we have seen the yard and your chosen designs. As benchmarks before VAT, one parish paid a quoted £600 per sport to reline a court, and wetpour under equipment is listed at £40 to £140 per m2. Send photos and a sketch, and the team books a visit.
Which Cheshire council handles planning?
One of four unitary councils: Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton or Warrington. There has been no county council since 2009, so a school in Crewe and one in Chester go to different planning teams with different pitch strategies.
| Cheshire job | Typical price, ex VAT | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Relining a netball or tennis court, per sport | £600 | Contractor quote to a parish, 2025 |
| Wetpour under park or school equipment | £40 to £140 per m2 | Supplier price list, 2026 |
| Two park courts renewed, Knights Grange | £43,100 | Council, 2024 |
Is there funding for a 3G pitch in Cheshire East?
The need is set out in writing, which is where any bid starts. The Local Football Facility Plan for Cheshire East, January 2025, identifies a need for 11 new 3G pitches and the refurbishment of three existing ones, and the borough’s Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy was refreshed in 2024. A school or club in a gap area should line up community use and match funding now; our artificial pitches page covers the build.
How has a Cheshire 3G project been paid for?
With the Football Foundation, the club and developer money together. Works started in August 2025 on a £1.4m 3G pitch and refurbished pavilion at King George V Playing Fields in Crewe, with a £1.1m Foundation grant and the rest from Crewe FC and section 106 contributions. A club planning a smaller project should look for the same mix: grant, its own share, and any section 106 money held for sport nearby.
What does a park court refresh cost in Cheshire West?
The council secured £43,100 in February 2024 for the two courts at Knights Grange, covering a full resurface and repaint, moss treatment and weed removal, new nets and posts, and online booking. For a parish or school with a similar pair of tired courts, that is a realistic guide for a refresh rather than a rebuild; tennis court construction covers new courts.
Is our Cheshire field in the Green Belt?
Across much of Cheshire East, yes. The council says Green Belt covers more than 400 km² of the borough, and a borough-wide assessment is under way to identify grey belt land for a new local plan expected in March 2029. Outdoor sport is allowed in the Green Belt if openness is kept, so floodlights and high fencing are the things to settle with planners; see the planning guide for courts and pitches.
Is Cheshire West’s pitch strategy current?
It has been updated. The October 2021 strategy for football, including 3G, cricket, rugby and hockey was followed by an update report in February 2025, so bids in Chester, Ellesmere Port or Northwich can cite current evidence.
How it works
- 01Send a plan and photosThe site, the surface and the date it must reopen.
- 02We check the groundLevels and where the water drains.
- 03Written quoteBuilt around your reopening date.
Sources
- Cheshire East Council, Local Football Facility Plan, Jan 2025
- Cheshire East Council, works start at King George V Playing Fields, Crewe, Aug 2025
- Cheshire West and Chester Council, Knights Grange tennis courts, Feb 2024
- Cheshire East Council, scope of the new local plan, read Oct 2026
- Cheshire West and Chester Council, playing pitch strategy, read Oct 2026
- DfE, PE and sport premium guidance for primary schools, Sept 2026
- Wickham Parish Council, MUGA resurfacing and relining quotes, Feb 2025
Will the premium cover new lines on our yard?
A repaint, generally yes, according to gov.uk; a new MUGA is capital and cannot be. See our playground markings page for thermoplastic and paint.
Who runs a Cheshire job?
For a Cheshire job we arrange a vetted local surfacing contractor, and we confirm who within 2 working days, or tell you if we can’t. Alex Winser stays your single contact from the first call to handover, and the written quote names who does the work before anything is booked.
What helps us quote a Cheshire job quickly?
The address, so we know which of the four councils is involved; whether the site appears in its borough’s pitch strategy or the Cheshire East facility plan; photos of the yard or court and the way in; and whether clubs already use it under a written agreement. Those points decide the funding route as much as the price.