Categories

Agrostis Turf Consultancy

Agrostis Sports Surface Consulting was established by me, Tim Lodge, in 2005 as Agrostis Turf Consultancy Ltd to provide technical advice and support for projects involving the design, construction and maintenance of outdoor spaces used primarily for sport. Our focus is mainly on natural grass surfaces but, in order to provide a comprehensive service, we also deal with, for example, 3G sports pitches and MUGAs.

Artificial sports surfaces are largely about material science, the selection of products incorporated into such constructions and the methods of their installation being largely (though not entirely) independent of the individual circumstances of each site. Natural turf, on the other hand, requires a much fuller appreciation of the actual and existing circumstances and it is in this field that I believe Agrostis is able to excel. Through our understanding of soils and the vegetation types associated with them, our natural turf projects are tailored to the circumstances of each individual situation.  

While climatological factors such as temperature and rainfall vary across the UK in a well-understood manner, I am fascinated by the interactions that occur between climate, geology, topography, soil type and soil profile hydraulic characteristics. Optimising the client’s objectives within the existing circumstances, understood in these terms, is key to delivering well-performing facilities in each unique and individual setting. This approach also achieves maximum sustainability in terms of the use of resources and the construction methodology that may eventually be adopted. 
      
To support and enhance our work, we undertake research. A consistent feature of that work over the years has been the study of soil structure, texture and hydraulic conductivity as these factors relate to sport surfaces. As we gain a better understanding of this, we’re able to specify more precisely the most appropriate design of surface that will meet the client’s objectives for an individual site. This might indicate, for example, how much and what form of drainage should be put in place. While one or other approach to natural turf sports pitch design may be effective in many cases, this will not always be appropriate for all sites. This blanket approach can lead to over-spending at best and, in situations where resources are limited, may prevent a project from going ahead altogether. This is disastrous for the users and a great shame generally.

Visiting as many sites as we do, there is a great opportunity to sample and describe soils and surfaces in a wide range of situations. This benefits the client in that test data from a site may be more readily interpreted in the context of other projects. As well as this, all our future clients benefit from a large data set pertaining to soils, grass species composition, sports performance criteria etc, all of which may be drawn upon for later comparison and incorporation into projects as appropriate.

Over the years we’ve also looked at grass species, cultivar and seed blend selection for incorporation into projects we’ve been involved with. This has drawn on my botanical and ecological background to identify the optimum seed mixes for particular situations. In recent years, we’ve widened this approach to incorporate bio-diversity net gain (BNG) criteria into our projects. For example, sports pitches are often surrounded by irregularly shaped areas that are of little value for sport but present excellent opportunities for wildlife if appropriately designed and maintained. We’ll try to enhance and incorporate such spaces into the wider project.

Originally through our work with artificial surfaces, we have acquired a thorough understanding of the principles and practice of sustainable drainage systems, SUDS. The intention here is, of course, to minimise flood risk from new developments. It has been especially interesting in this respect to work on new-build school projects that involve a number of surface types, natural turf, wildlife areas, 3G and macadam sports pitches for example. This holistic approach is in fact central to all of our work as we strive to design facilities and spaces that enhance bio-diversity, sustainability and people’s experience of the outdoor environment more generally. Integrating SUDS with BNG design is an area of particular interest that we are exploring at the moment.  

A great deal of our work is in the creation and improvement of school and local authority playing fields. This involves extensive liaison with main contractors, turf-based sub-contractors, local and planning authorities and statutory bodies such as Sport England. Amongst our colleagues in these areas, I believe we are well-respected not only for our knowledge and experience but also because of our independence. Although we maintain friendly and constructive relationships for example with all of the best construction contractors, we have no commercial ties with anyone. Our chief concerns are for the satisfaction of our clients while adhering to our fundamental principles of optimum design value from an environmental, commercial and sporting perspective.

Event Diary

Returning to the NAEC Stoneleigh in Warwickshire from 24-26 June, Road Transport Expo (RTX) is back with its winning ‘All about the truck’ formula.

19-20 November 2025, ExCeL London

elementalLONDON’s debut show is the latest launch from the team behind InstallerSHOW, building on the success of the elemental digital brand, which delivers news, views and solutions on reaching net zero to its audience of built environment professionals.

Education Business LIVE is a carefully designed conference and exhibition bringing together education people with a passion for the promotion and development of effective school leadership, management, learning and teaching.

Supplier Profiles

Frontline Cleaners Express

At Frontline Cleaners Express Ltd, we understand the importance of a pristine, hygienic environme

Tinytag

Gemini Data Loggers, established in 1984, designs and manufactures the Tinytag range of data logg