June 8, 2023

Case Study: Oundle Town Rowing Club

Requirement: 360m2 Grass Parking & Access on Grass for Rowing Boats.

Client: Oundle Town Rowing Club

Location: Barnwell, Peterborough.

Issue

Oundle Town Rowing Club were experiencing major problems with their car park which is grassed and on a slight slope. They can only park around 8 cars without fear of skidding or sliding. Cars frequently got stuck and had to be pushed out. This is not good for the cars and not good for the people who have to rescue them. This also means they had accessibility issues for people with limited mobility. This is very important to OTRC as full inclusion is very much part of the ethos of the rowing club. Also, access was often comprised for movement of the rowing boats to the river Nene during colder wetter periods. With the green sensitivity, excessive costs and drainage logistics, hardstanding could not be considered.

Solution

It was agreed, after a meeting on site, to use Grass Reinforcement Heavy installed by Grassmats. This was decided after taking into consideration soil and drainage conditions and the expected frequency of use. Once the Grass Reinforcement becomes entangled with the grass, it would become almost invisible. The mesh will protect the grass root structure and support the weight of the parked cars at the same time and reinforce the grass to access to the river in less clement weather. The matting was installed by the Grassmats install team in a day.

Benefits

Oundle Rowing Club now have a grassed parking area they can rely on that can be used all year round in most weather conditions. The cars will now not get stuck or turn the parking area into muddy area. Also, the reinforced access routes to the river will allow the club to be open much more time throughout the year. The mesh was installed for a fraction of the cost that a traditional tarmac or gravel car park would cost. There was also no extra drainage requirements and no planning difficulties. The grass car park is very much in keeping with the surroundings and the long-term ethos of the rowing club.