Last updated October 2026
Primary schools across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire refreshing games and running tracks, and clubs relining courts, can budget from the figures below. Markings are priced after a survey because the design, the number of colours and the state of the tarmac all change the cost; as a guide, relining a sports court has been quoted at £600 per sport and supply-only thermoplastic kits start at about £131 before VAT. Send a photo of the yard and the designs you like, and the team books a visit.
Can our school pay for new markings from the PE and sport premium?
For a repaint, usually yes; for a large new scheme, ask first. The gov.uk guidance names repainting playground lines as revenue spending the premium can cover, but treats capital projects, including MUGAs and active mile tracks, as out of bounds, and the Department for Education does not advise on individual cases. A Nottingham primary refreshing faded lines can plan it within this year’s allocation. A full redesign or a new MUGA belongs in a capital bid; our funding guide lists the routes.
| Nottinghamshire job | Typical price, ex VAT | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Marking kit for a Nottingham primary yard, supply only | from about £131 | StartSafety list, 2026 |
| Relining a games court, one sport | £600 | Contractor quote to a parish, 2025 |
| MUGA relining, full court | £1,250 | Contractor quote, 2025 |
When can markings go down?
On dry days, which in practice means a holiday or a run of weekends from spring to early autumn. Thermoplastic is heat-applied to clean, dry tarmac, and paint needs time to cure before feet go on it. A school should book its slot in the spring term; our playground markings page explains thermoplastic against paint.
Does a school near West Bridgford need a 3G pitch or a MUGA?
The evidence points to a real gap. Rushcliffe’s 2025 playing pitch strategy review finds a shortfall of two full-size 3G pitches in West Bridgford and Ruddington and one each around Bingham, Cotgrave and Radcliffe, and Keyworth, with East Leake short by 2028. It also notes that West Bridgford School’s pitches are not open for community use and puts a borough-wide deficit of nine padel courts on LTA guidance. A school willing to open its facilities to clubs offers what such strategies look for, which strengthens any funding bid for a pitch or a MUGA.
Are Nottingham’s park courts being renewed?
Yes, through the LTA’s park programme. In 2024 courts at Clifton Playing Fields, Strelley Recreation Ground, Bulwell Forest Recreation Ground, Lenton Abbey Park, Vernon Park and Valley Road Park were resurfaced and repainted with new nets and a gate system. For a nearby school, that can mean better value in markings and a MUGA on its own yard than in building courts; for a club planning its own, see tennis court construction.
Sources
- DfE, PE and sport premium guidance for primary schools, Sept 2026
- Rushcliffe Borough Council, playing pitch strategy review, 2025
- LTA, Nottingham park courts reopen, June 2024
- MHCLG, local authority Green Belt statistics 2024 to 2025, Oct 2025
- StartSafety, four-way hopscotch marking, Oct 2026
- Wickham Parish Council, MUGA resurfacing and relining quotes, Feb 2025
Which council handles planning for a court or MUGA?
Nottingham City Council for addresses inside the city’s tight boundary; otherwise the district, such as Rushcliffe for West Bridgford, Gedling for Arnold and Carlton, or Broxtowe for Beeston. Ask the right one about fencing and floodlights before design.
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.
Are edge-of-city sports grounds in the Green Belt?
Many are. The Derby and Nottingham Green Belt covered 59,910 hectares at March 2025, and a club ground or school field at the edge of the conurbation is often inside it. Outdoor sport is allowed if it preserves openness, so the planning focus is on lights and tall fencing; see our planning guide for courts and pitches .
Who runs a Nottinghamshire job?
We arrange a vetted local surfacing contractor to carry out Nottinghamshire work, confirm who within 2 working days, or tell you plainly if we can’t. You deal with Alex Winser throughout, and nothing is booked until you have the written quote and know who is doing the work.