Polo Grounds as a class are subject to co-ordination as outlined in the relevant Practice Note.
Prima facie, all polo grounds are rateable.
Any argument that they fall within the agricultural exemption provisions of Schedule 5 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (LGFA 1988) is misplaced and should be resisted. Specifically, paragraph 2(d) of Schedule 5 to LGFA 1988 excludes “land used mainly or exclusively for sport or recreation”. In the rare event that the ground is also used for agricultural purposes for part of the year, the case should be referred to the Technical Adviser.
Some occupiers have contended that their polo grounds are ancillary to their dwelling houses and that, as a consequence, not subject to non-domestic rating. This argument should also be firmly rejected. A polo ground, “stick and ball” practice ground or extensive range of stabling for strings of polo ponies should not be regarded as a domestic “appurtenance” under section 66(1)(b) of LGFA 1988. (See also RM:V4:S2 - Occupation and the Hereditament Part B: Occupation and the Hereditament: Domestic Property and in particular paragraph 5.7). Again, Technical Advisers are able to give further detailed advice on this aspect if required.
Details of many clubs can be found on the web site of the Hurlingham Polo Association, the governing body for the sport in the UK. This site also has useful background information. A list of known Polo Clubs is kept by CEO Rating – Leisure and Licensed Property Team.
Polo grounds and their attendant buildings will vary in layout and construction from location to location, depending on the quality and calibre of the club in occupation. Some may be no more than a level grass field suitably mown and marked out for use during the playing season, with perhaps the most rudimentary of facilities. Others may be much more opulent in style and character, having been specially designed for their purpose.
The playing season for polo is generally confined to the summer months. If an inspection is made at other times of the year, care should be taken to ensure that the full extent of the hereditament is thoroughly investigated.
The following typical features are all likely to be value significant and should be noted on the survey:
At the outset, the exact planning permission under which the polo ground has been developed should be ascertained. Consent may be wholly unrestricted, or have limitations set on the number of playing days; vehicular access or movements; entry to the site by the general public etc.
There is a need for good vehicular access both on to and within the site, not only for motorcars, but also for horse transport and other deliveries, which are quite likely to be by articulated lorry. The nature and condition of roads (if any), tracks and other features that affect access to the polo ground should be noted.
Comprehensive parking arrangements for players, spectators and staff will also be needed. As the demand is likely to vary from day to day, enquiries should be wide-ranging and take account of the fact that one tournament at a prestigious club has been known to attract some 20,000 spectators on a single day. However the finals of the major tournaments probably attract no more than 4000 spectators, and most are less than 1000. The majority of club games attract very few spectators, and most of those will be “family”. A programme of fixtures for the current season should be obtained on inspection and if possible details of charges to spectators including parking.
The club house at a polo ground will vary in size and attributes from, at one extreme, the most simple of pavilions, with basic changing and refreshment facilities to, at the other, a quality set of purpose-built buildings where all departments are laid out to the highest standards. Top quality grounds will have grandstands, bars and restaurant facilities or tearooms, in addition to changing rooms and administrative offices. There may be suites for overnight accommodation of players.
Some grounds, even the most famous, may have spartan facilities – the tradition of changing in the back of the horsebox still lives on!
Where for the larger events tented “villages” and marquees are used, details should be obtained as to the extent of these facilities and the degree of permanence of the temporary accommodation.
The standard layout of a polo ground is a playing area, ranging from a minimum of 228.6 metres (250 yards) to a maximum of 274.2 metres (300 yards) long, with a maximum breadth of 183m (200 yards), or 146.4m (160 yards) if boarded. Around this playing area is a safety zone, about 9.15m (10 yards) wide along the sides and 27.45m (30 yards) deep at either end behind the goals. The goal posts are 7.32m (8 yards) apart for normal play, 14.64m (16 yards) when playing with widened goals, and at least 3.05m (10 feet) high. They are designed to be collapsible in case of collision.
The playing surface typically comprises grass turf. The recent aim on the best grounds, in common with other sports pitches, has been to provide as true a playing surface as possible. A single polo ground (including safety zones) has a recommended size of some 4.65 – 6.5 hectares (11.5 – 16.0 acres), this can only be achieved by extensive levelling of the ground; the provision of efficient ground and surface water drainage; the installation of a water main grid for irrigation; the use of a suitable grass sward seed mixture and careful maintenance. The traditional method of “treading in”, the replacement of displaced divots between chukkas (periods of play) by the spectators, is often augmented by a rather more scientific repair regime after games.
A polo club is likely to have several grounds, and each will probably have its own characteristics: the best being reserved for tournament games (with other clubs) and the poorer quality ones used for club chukkas. Accordingly, separate areas should be recorded for each individual ground together with their particular attributes, to enable the final valuation to reflect these nuances.
The larger clubs will also have "stick and ball" grounds, which are used for practice. The extent of these areas should also be recorded.
More general enquiries should be made about the underlying subsoil and its effect on the maintenance of the sward and availability of individual grounds for play (if it is clay, for example, it will be both heavy going and difficult to drain when wet, whilst likely to bake hard in summer), and how the subsoil drainage, if any, is arranged. It is important to ascertain whether the grounds are artificially irrigated, and if so, how is this achieved?
If the grounds have been specially prepared (e.g. with subsoil drainage, levelling, selected grass seeding, irrigation systems, etc), details of the extent and costs of such works should be requested.
Where grounds are subject to any form of disability, e.g. they are liable to flooding; this should be clearly described on the survey.
Both indoor and outdoor all-weather playing surfaces are being developed so as to considerably extend the playing season. These polo arenas are much smaller than traditional grounds and teams are restricted to three players (rather than four).
Outdoor arenas are likely to be boarded to a height of about 2m, and probably higher still behind the goals, to contain the ball and players. Above this boarding, netting may be erected to help minimise damage by an errant high-flying ball.
Playing surfaces are likely to vary: some may be waxed artificial turf, others mixtures of sand and pulverised rubber. Whatever surface has been adopted, maintaining and keeping as true a playing surface as possible will be a priority. Drainage is also an important consideration. The playing surface is likely to be cambered to allow rainwater to be discharged directly into efficient storm-water drains. Details of the type of playing surface and system required to maintain it should be recorded. The type and quality of artificial lighting should also be noted.
Some clubs are known to have an indoor arena that can be used for play during all the winter months, regardless of the weather. The size and mode of construction of the structure should be recorded, in addition to the details of the playing surface and lighting arrangements, as outlined above.
Whenever possible, costs should be ascertained.
This will vary from club to club. The simplest will be mere "pony lines" - where ponies that have been transported to the site can be tethered before or after chukkas and in between games. If well designed, these will have been located to make maximum use of any available shade.
Some grounds may have more elaborate traditional stabling arrangements, often with livery facilities.
If the establishment has stables, it is important to record the number and type of boxes available on the premises, together with their size and mode of construction. The expectation is that most boxes will be close to the usual average size, approximately 3.5m x 3.5m.
The best boxes will be well ventilated; with window openings ideally placed at least 1.8m from floor level, to ensure that there are no draughts at eye-level. Flooring and access routes will be durable, resilient and offer secure footing. There will be as much natural light as possible, with efficient use of artificial lighting. Easy access to water supplies, feed rooms or bedding litter storage and the dung heap is desirable. Details of these elements should be noted in order to help determine overall quality.
Yard layouts will vary. The traditional English yard will have boxes lining three, or sometimes four sides of an open square. In recent years, the American "barn" has become popular. This has all the boxes in one large, airy building, under one roof. Boxes are arranged opposite each other, in parallel lines and separated by an access way wide enough to accommodate a tractor and trailer. Boxes in adjoining "streets" may be "back-to-back" with each other.
Ancillary facilities will also need to be recorded similarly. These will generally include tack rooms, feed stores, hay and straw barns or other storage areas.
Some grounds will have no long-term stabling facilities. A recent trend in the sport has been the supply of strings of polo ponies to clubs on match days by specialist livery stables. With the advent of the modern motorway network, it is not uncommon for such ponies to be transported surprisingly long distances by articulated horse transporters.
Whilst many polo grounds are not occupied under leasing arrangements, every effort should be made to obtain rental evidence where it exists, either by rent return or during the referencing process.
Rents should be recorded and analysed, using accurate survey information, and have regard to any tenant’s improvements.
The rental basis should be used for this class.
Valuation of individual buildings will depend on their type, age and construction according to prevailing local values. There should be sufficient local evidence to furnish a basis for most types of building likely to be encountered.
When valuing polo stables, it should be remembered that their period of maximum use will be during the playing season and that they may well lie empty during the winter. Accordingly, the market determining their value is an entirely different one to that for, say, racing yards or general purpose riding stables.
The valuation of polo arenas, both outdoor and indoor, will need to be carefully considered. A starting point for outdoor arenas may well be a level of value akin to that adopted for manèges used for dressage. Buildings used for this purpose probably have affinities with indoor riding schools.
All evidence should be considered when determining the value of the land element. Whilst there is clearly a broad similarity with the larger type of sports grounds (but certainly not village football pitches and cricket grounds), the size element inherent in polo grounds should not be underestimated. Furthermore, differential pricing will probably need to be introduced in many instances, to reflect the various levels of quality that may be encountered between the individual grounds at any particular club. The elements described in the referencing section (above) should be used to make such distinctions.
The (generally) rural location of polo grounds should always be born in mind and the effect that this has on broad levels of value should not be overlooked.
The need for co-ordination between Groups cannot be over emphasised.
The contents of this Section have been discussed with, and supplied to, the Hurlingham Polo Association.