Chesterfield football club wants answers over 'raw sewage' on children's training pitch

A Chesterfield junior football club has been forced to temporarily leave its home due to a raw sewage leak on the training pitch.
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Wingerworth Junior Sports Association (WJSA) says it has faced a series of problems since new housing developments began to spring up around its pitches at The Avenue.

The developments have led Yorkshire Water to install large sewage and ground water drains to service the new housing.

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New drains had to cross the WJSA ground – putting it out of use for two years and leaving a host of ongoing problems ever since.

Geoff Lord, president of Wingerworth Junior Sports Association, says the football club is being disrupted by sewage on pitches.Geoff Lord, president of Wingerworth Junior Sports Association, says the football club is being disrupted by sewage on pitches.
Geoff Lord, president of Wingerworth Junior Sports Association, says the football club is being disrupted by sewage on pitches.

Geoff Lord, club president and chief welfare officer, said: “Currently, due to surface drainage problems caused by the Yorkshire Water work, only one pitch is playable and much of the surrounding areas are very muddy.

"As the neighbouring housing has become occupied the drains have become ‘active’ and further problems have occurred, namely repeated and continuing leakage of raw sewage onto the WJSA ground.”

“Yorkshire Water have made attempts to identify and remedy the situation but it continues to cause the club problems.

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"As a junior sports club we have a duty of care for our children and young people, and visiting teams and adults.

Geoff says the most recent leakage began in early March, with Yorkshire Water on-site many times in a bid to fix it.

"However, the leakage continues and with the lighter evenings the club should be resuming training sessions on the grass area immediately adjacent to the main source of the leakage,” he added.

"Obviously, for health and safety concerns the club could not do this.”

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Fortunately, Wingerworth Parish Council offered the club use of facilities on Allendale Park in the centre of the village. But the club wants to see a permanent solution.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We understand flooding of this nature can be distressing and apologise for the inconvenience it has caused to our customers.

"Our teams are attending today to remove a blockage from the sewer network.

"Once this has been completed, a clean-up will take place and further investigations will begin to find the underlying cause.”