by Pete Hayman | 02 Sep 2008

Morecambe Football Club (MFC) has been granted planning permission by Lancaster City Council for a new development incorporating a 6,800-capacity stadium.

As well as a new stadium, the 5.3 hectare (13 acre) site at Westgate will also include an outdoor multi-sports facility. Outline approval was also given for a 40-bedroom hotel, a club shop and seven food and drink outlets at the site.

MFC has drawn up the plans with planning consultants, Maze Planning Solutions, architects The Harris Partnership, and structural engineers R.G. Parkins & Partners.

The new stadium will incorporate 2,100 seats into its design, along with 54 wheelchair spaces and bar and catering facilities in each of the four stands. The main stand will also include a 300-seat function suite and six executive boxes.

Three new football pitches will form part of the new multi-sports facility, with one full-size synthetic pitch and two five-a-side pitches set to provide MFC with training facilities, as well as the local community. Two all-weather tennis courts which can be used for a range of other sports are also among the proposals.

Work won't begin on the stadium until next year at the earliest, but it is hoped that the stadium will be ready in time for the start of the 2010-11 season.

Rod Taylor, MFC's chief executive, said: "Initially we were looking to move at the end of this season but we had to stall it for 12 months. It's a major project and one that is looking to safeguard the long term future of the football club. It is a massive undertaking."

Morecambe Football Club (MFC) has been granted planning permission by Lancaster City Council for a new development incorporating a 6,800-capacity stadium. As well as a new stadium, the 5.3 hectare (13 acre) site at Westgate will also include an outdoor multi-sports facility. Outline approval was also given for a 40-bedroom hotel, a club shop and seven food and drink outlets at the site. MFC has drawn up the plans with

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