Plumpton Racecourse secures sustainable water supply

With increasingly unpredicatble weather patterns, achieving the ideal ‘good to soft’ conditions at Plumpton Racecourse relies on reliable and careful water management. In an attempt to safeguard the future of the course, Head Groundsman and Clerk of the Course Marcus Waters decided to invest in the construction of a reservoir however, delivering the project required navigating not only a complex planning process but also turning the construction around in a matter of a few short weeks. That’s where AMS Contactors stepped in.

Plumpton Racecourse secures sustainable water supply

Plumpton is a small National Hunt venue, hosting 16 race meetings between September and May. After nearly six years at the racecourse, Marcus notes that the weather is becoming more extreme. “We seem to swing between prolonged dry periods and prolonged wet spells. As we’re on natural clay soil, this means we’re often irrigating early in the season then actively battling to move water off the course in the winter months” he explains.

After a number of successful previous projects, Marcus spoke to specialist contractors AMS about the installation of a reservoir – to reduce their reliance on the mains supply and ensure the racecourse could maintain ground conditions even during hot, dry periods. “From the very start of the process, AMS were absolutely fantastic. From advising us on the process and helping us get the planning application in, they took a lot of stress off our plate.”

With planning permission secured in mid-June, this left only a short window to complete construction before the commencement of the new racing season. Despite the pressure, the AMS team delivered a fully coordinated and efficient project lasting just four weeks. “Everything was organised promptly from machines to materials and, with a little help from mother nature, the AMS operatives worked tirelessly to turn the project around on specification and ahead of time.” Marcus added, “This over-delivery meant we could start filling the reservoir earlier than we expected which turned out to be critical given the lack of rainfall we saw in the summer of 2025.”

The successful delivery has already delivered major benefits for the venue. “We’ve seen reduced reliance on the mains supply, which is not only good from an environmental perspective but also for the budget. We now have the peace of mind that no matter what restrictions we may face, or what the weather can throw at us, we have the water there and ready to go.”

Marcus extended a final thanks to Ashley, Myles and the AMS team. “From a grounds point of view, this is the single biggest project we’ve undertaken and thanks to the guidance, expertise and commitment from AMS it was smooth and will support the racecourse for many seasons to come.”

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