HCL Facilities Strategy – Summary
Hertfordshire Cricket Limited’s Facilities Strategy sets out a clear ambition: to break down the barriers that limit access to cricket and to ensure that everyone who wants to be involved in the game has the opportunity to do so. By identifying the key facility challenges across the county, this strategy highlights priority areas for investment that will unlock growth and create a more inclusive, accessible future for cricket in Hertfordshire.
At its heart, the strategy is about people. It aims to deliver high-quality, fit-for-purpose facilities that not only meet current needs but also anticipate future demand. These environments will enable individuals from all backgrounds to enjoy cricket in a safe, welcoming space, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or economic status.
Guided by Sport England’s three core principles — Protect, Enhance, and Provide — this strategy recognises that the right facilities, in the right place, at the right time, and at an affordable cost are fundamental to sustaining and growing the game. Whether it is grass pitches, non-turf surfaces, indoor training spaces, or informal settings for social formats, access to quality provision underpins every opportunity to play, volunteer, and engage with cricket across Hertfordshire.
While the focus is on facilities, the success of cricket in the county is powered by its people—particularly the thousands of volunteers who give their time and energy to support the game. This strategy acknowledges their invaluable contribution and seeks to ensure they are supported with environments that enable them to thrive.
Providing the right facilities has far-reaching benefits. Participation in cricket contributes to:
- Physical development through increased activity, improved fitness, and skill development
- Personal growth by building confidence, leadership, and resilience
- Emotional wellbeing by supporting mental health and strengthening self-esteem
- Social connection by fostering belonging, teamwork, and community engagement
To deliver against these ambitions, HCL has identified nine key areas of focus within its 10-year Facilities Plan:
Key Priorities
- Develop a new indoor and outdoor cricket facility at Oaklands College to support both performance and recreational cricket
- Improve the quality of fine turf pitches, particularly across middle and lower leagues
- Enhance indoor provision to meet ECB standards while supporting both structured and casual formats of the game
- Support clubs in managing the ongoing impact of cost-of-living pressures
- Strengthen security of tenure agreements to safeguard clubs’ long-term access to grounds
- Upgrade changing rooms and facilities to better accommodate the rapid growth of women’s and girls’ cricket
- Continue to create inclusive, welcoming environments that encourage participation from all communities
- Improve and modernise off-field practice facilities across recreational clubs
- Support clubs in upgrading outdated machinery to ensure pitches and facilities remain fit for purpose
Alongside these priorities, the strategy commits to building stronger partnerships with key stakeholders—including local authorities, Sport England, Active Partnerships, and community organisations—to unlock opportunities and secure vital investment.
Access to funding will be critical in delivering these ambitions, as will equipping the cricket network across Hertfordshire with the skills, knowledge, and resilience needed to navigate future challenges.
This is not a static plan. It is a living strategy, designed to evolve over the next decade as new insights, data, and opportunities emerge. For the first time, HCL has drawn on a wide range of evidence to not only define today’s most pressing facility needs but also to anticipate and prepare for the future of the game.
Hertfordshire Cricket Limited exists to make cricket accessible, available, and enjoyable for all. In line with the ECB’s vision, this strategy reinforces a simple but powerful ambition:
Cricket is a game for everyone—uniting communities, breaking down barriers, and improving lives through a shared passion.
The full strategy document can be downloaded below.
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