Last updated October 2026
Hertfordshire’s planned towns put a play area in nearly every neighbourhood, and many are now at the age where the surface needs replacing. Wetpour under equipment typically costs about £40 to £140 per m2 before VAT. The bigger local variable is the Green Belt, which covers most of some districts and very little of others. Send photos of each site and Alex Winser arranges the surveys.
How much of our district is Green Belt?
It varies more than anywhere near London. On government figures for 2021, St Albans was 81.6% Green Belt, Welwyn Hatfield 79.2%, Hertsmere 79.0% and Three Rivers 75.7%, while Watford was 18.7% and Stevenage only 6.9%. So a floodlit court at a school outside Harpenden faces a very different planning question from one inside Stevenage. National policy accepts outdoor sport in the Green Belt if openness is kept, which puts fencing height and lighting, not the surface, at the centre of an application. Our planning guide for courts and pitches walks through it.
Can a whole run of estate play areas be priced at once?
Yes, and in the new towns it is usually the sensible way. Stevenage, the first new town under the 1946 Act, and the garden cities of Letchworth and Welwyn laid out play spaces neighbourhood by neighbourhood, so a housing provider or town council often has a dozen of similar age. One survey round covers them, each gets its own line, and the worst can go first.
What has a Hertfordshire park court refurbishment cost?
Between about £110,000 and £120,000 for recent council schemes. Stevenage spent £112,000 at Shephalbury Park on full resurfacing in green with blue surrounds, fence repairs and a gate with online booking entry. Dacorum’s £116,000 scheme, funded by the Government and the LTA Tennis Foundation, covered courts at Reith Fields and Coronation Fields in Hemel Hempstead, with gate access added at Cupid Green too. Those are useful guides for a parish or school weighing a full refurbishment against a repaint.
| Hertfordshire job | Typical price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Wetpour under play equipment | £40 to £140 per m2 + VAT | Supplier list, 2026 |
| Park court refurbishment, Stevenage | £112,000 | Stevenage Borough Council |
| Two-venue refurbishment, Hemel Hempstead | £116,000 | Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, 2023 |
How long will a refurbished court be out of use?
Plan on a few months from start to reopening for a full scheme. Dacorum planned Reith Fields to start in November 2023 and Coronation Fields in January 2024, with both due to be ready for spring. Winter starts leave the colour coats waiting for warmer, drier weather, so a school wanting courts back for the summer term should aim to start the base work early.
Which surface suits a Hertfordshire school yard?
In a new-town primary in Stevenage or Hatfield, wetpour under the frames, laid to the fall height of the tallest piece, and painted games on the remaining tarmac. Where a field edge needs to stay green, a shock-padded artificial grass finish works. If the yard also needs a ball court, see our MUGA page.
Sources
- CPRE Hertfordshire, Green Belt by district, data at Mar 2021
- NPPF, protecting Green Belt land (paragraph 154), read Oct 2026
- Stevenage Borough Council, Shephalbury Park tennis courts, read Oct 2026
- Dacorum Borough Council, park tennis courts set for revamp, Nov 2023
- Redlynch Leisure, wet pour prices, Sept 2026
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.
Do we need a gate system on a new court?
If you want it booked and earning, it helps. Both Stevenage and Dacorum added gate entry tied to online booking, and fitting it at build stage avoids cutting into new fencing later.
Who manages a Hertfordshire job?
We arrange a vetted local surfacing contractor for Hertfordshire jobs. We confirm who within 2 working days, or tell you if we can’t. Alex Winser keeps the job moving as your one point of contact, and you see the contractor’s name on the written quote before you agree to anything.
What should a Hertfordshire housing provider send?
A list of sites with addresses, the rough age of each play area, photos of the worst wear, and the district for each, since the Green Belt picture in St Albans or Hertsmere differs so much from Stevenage or Watford. That lets one survey round cover the lot and the quote rank them by condition.