Council Assets
Staplefield Pavilion and Common
The Parish Council owns Staplefield Common, the cricket facilities (including the pitch, pavilion, and practice nets) and is responsible for managing the Upper Common. They are tasked with the upkeep of Staplefield Common and the Upper Common, which encompasses all aspects of grounds care, pitch maintenance, and arboricultural work. The council performs a tree survey every two years and implements maintenance work based on the survey results. Trees are evaluated according to risk categories that consider both the tree's condition and its location due to health and safety concerns. Whenever possible, the Council aims to preserve and maintain trees; however, they must also remove those trees identified as hazardous.
The pavilion is entirely funded by the Parish Council. All revenue generated from the hire of both the pavilion and common land contributes to covering the pavilion's operating expenses, with any shortfall being compensated from the Parish Council precept funds. The precept is collected from all five wards within our Parish, namely Staplefield, Ansty, Brook Street & Bolnore, Rocky Lane North, and Rocky Lane South. As of May 2027, this will be reduced to three wards, since the two Rocky Lane wards will be transferred to Haywards Heath Town Council following a boundary review. This change will lead to a loss of nearly half of our precept income.
2026 Update!
During the winter of 2025/2026, both the pavilion and the park have been subjected to improvements.
Staplefield Playpark
Staplefield playpark has been completely replaced, along with the addition of drainage enhancements. Thanks to a generous donation of £5000 from a resident towards the playpark renovation, combined with £47000 from the parish council, the new playpark was finally installed after two decades of planning. Although it has been open since May, the official opening ceremony took place on 18th June, where our design a sign competition winner Florrie Gaynor and chair Simon Stokes jointly inaugurated the park. It was wonderful to see so many children running into the park with squeals of joy despite the rain! Numerous treats were enjoyed, including the largest ice creams ever seen!
Staplefield Pavilion
Extensive work has also been completed on the pavilion. The decking and footpath surrounding the side and front have been replaced; new locks with a keypad entry system have been installed; the toilet block, which previously failed an electrical test, has been reconnected; a sink has been added to the ladies' toilet; automatic lighting has been installed along with a fresh coat of paint; a leak has been repaired; the carpet inside the pavilion has been made safe; a full EICR of the building has been conducted resulting in a new consumer unit; lighting has been completely rewired with new LED lights installed; sockets repaired; front and rear disabled entrances refurbished; and PAT tests, legionnaires, and asbestos testing have all been completed.
We are very excited to announce that we were successfully awarded a £20000 National Lottery grant to support the refurbishment.
Booking of the Pavilion, Cricket Pitch and Common.
If you wish to book any of the facilities, you can do so by contacting the Parish Clerk via email at [email protected] or by calling 07437 703411.
Conditions of hire.
All hirers are required to complete a booking form and will be provided with a hire agreement contract.
Any expenses incurred by the Parish Council as a consequence of the hire will be charged to the hirer.
The Pavilion and Cricket pitch are the pavilion’s primary purpose; however, outside of those times, they can be hired for other events or uses.
Please note, the sale of alcohol is strictly prohibited at any of the facilities without the appropriate licenses.
