Flooding halts months of sport at Rickmansworth Sports Club

Rickmansworth Sports Club says its “existence is threatened” as its grounds have once again become waterlogged amid recent rain, after already being forced to cancel months of football and half the cricket season earlier this year.

Drains and a culvert are supposed to take water away from the ground through multiple different properties, but these have become blocked.

Rickmansworth Sports Club grounds. (Image: Rickmansworth Sports Club) The club, which has been at the same location for 230 years, says it has been left in “chaos”, cancelling all boys and girls’ football again nine months on from raising the issue with Three Rivers District Council when the problem first emerged.

Club Secretary Paul Blackwell said: “The council will no doubt try to place the blame elsewhere, but the plain truth is that their slowness to take action is seriously affecting the health and well-being of hundreds of local kids, as well as the financial security of volunteer-led organisations like ours that have seen our income decimated.

Club secretary Paul Blackwell. (Image: Paul Blackwell.) “It’s only been the generosity of parents, in time and money, that has enabled us to keep our heads above the water – if you will excuse the pun.”

Club chairman Stefan Maggi said that it has carried out works to clear the ditch on its own land, as well as offering to contribute half the costs to clear the culvert under the council’s property, but is still waiting for it to actually get it cleared.

According to the club, the council said it would arrange with other landowners downstream for the culvert to be unblocked.

(Image: Rickmansworth Sports Club) A Three Rivers District Council spokesperson confirmed it has met with the club regularly over the flooding affecting its land, the council’s land, and Rickmansworth Nursery, since March.

“A ditch owned by the club was found to be a significant factor related to the flooding issues at the site due to poor maintenance,” they said. “The council advised the club that they are responsible for maintaining it and ensuring it is effective in holding the volume of water it is designed for.”

These works apparently involved clearing weeds, vegetation, and general rubbish to widen the capacity.

(Image: Rickmansworth Sports Club)“The club determined that the council should also attend to the culvert, which runs under its land,” the spokesperson said.

“The council only owns approximately 45m of the culvert – with the remaining sections of the 280m-long culvert owned by other landowners.”

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The issue "cannot be addressed effectively" without those further downstream clearing their sections.

“The council is not prepared to undertake works and spend money that will not resolve the issue or on sections of the culvert it is not responsible for," they added.

“Currently, the council is exploring the possibility of having the culvert surveyed by a specialist drainage contractor, but permission and an agreement to share costs with the other landowners need to be reached first.”

(Image: Rickmansworth Sports Club)