As you may have heard, the local Council (London Borough of Merton) is considering the installation of a caged and floodlit full-sized football Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP) in Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Field (SJHMPF), at a cost of well over £1million. The Council has stated that there is “a clear demand” for an AGP, but not why SJHMPF is a suitable site.
The Friends are keen to support changes which improve the park, but we are concerned because:
- Our park is only small and the proposed AGP would dominate the available space and change the park’s character;
- So that the Council can control paid access, the AGP would be fully enclosed behind a metal cage (larger than a standard football pitch), resulting in loss of the openness and vistas valued by many park users;
- The floodlighting would disturb wildlife in the park, such as bats;
- The extra footfall will put even more pressure on access and the very limited parking available;
- The AGP could be used for up to 80 hours a week, including evenings, increasing noise and disturbance; and
- The environmental impact of both the proposed 3G pitch and the rubber crumb infill used, which is classified as a microplastic. Even with the best mitigation measures, we are worried about the spread of dust and fine particles from this material throughout the park. Of particular concern is the potential contamination of the children's play area and the nearby Beverley Brook, where microplastic pollution could negatively affect both the local ecosystem and community health.
We are very disappointed that:
- The Council has not conducted any formal consultation with the Friends or regular park users, other than footballers; yet
- The decision appears to have already been made as the funding for the AGP is included in the draft Council budget for 2026/27 and the Playing Pitch Strategy 2026-2038, which was approved at a recent Council meeting. However, it's subject to planning permission being given.
We (the Friends) are therefore telling local residents and other park users about the proposal. The survey, in which we asked for people's opinions, is now closed and the results will inform the Friends’ response to the planning application. You will, of course, be able to comment on the planning application when it's made and we will tell you more then.
Please complete the form here so we can send you updates.
*These images are our representation of what a full-size AGP would look like in the position we understand the council is proposing.
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Paul Hide - Sunday, 1 February 2026
As someone who frequently walks my dog in this park, I strongly oppose this proposal. It is the natural, open, unspoiled aspect of the park that makes it such a pleasant place to walk and an artificial grass pitch surrounded by large fences and flood-lights would completely destroy this. It would be bound, also, to have a highly detrimental effect on the wildlife that inhabits the surrounding area and we are at a stage in the life of our planet where protecting wildlife and biodiversity should be of the highest priority.
Ruth Milligan - Sunday, 1 February 2026
I am wholly against this proposal. It would ruin the open, peaceful, natural aspect of the park for all users. The pitch, and importantly, it's construction, would destroy habitat for birds, wildlife and plant life which is the main source of the park's current beauty and potentially lead to the spread of damaging microplastics throughout the surrounding area. Given that the proposed pitch would not be open for free community use, it would not even be a community resource but purely serve a limited interest group. This is a selfish and wantonly destructive proposal.