Delight as Braintree Town’s new 6,000 stadium moves a step closer
NO supporter dare say it out loud, but league football has been firmly put on the Braintree Town agenda after plans for a new stadium were given a major boost.
A planning report from the Government, promoted and backed by Braintree District Council, has stated that houses could be built at the current Cressing Road ground to help finance a deal to build a new 6,000 capacity stadium on Panfield Lane.
It is expected that work would commence in 2016 and the ground will be fit for football league status – currently the Iron are just one rung below in the Blue Square Premier.
Club chairman Lee Harding was delighted and said: “After years of hard work, I have to congratulate both council members and officers.
“These are really exciting times. We regard the club as a Braintree success story and, during the past five years, we have enjoyed two promotions to take us to within touching distance of the football league.
“This is a major step forward for both the club and the town itself.”
The club has been talking to the council since 2004 about relocation as they were hoping it would be a key part of the council’s local plan.
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Now, if the Core Strategy, a document detailing planning options for the next 15 years, is adopted by the council on September 8, the new stadium will become a reality.
Government Planning Inspector Mike Moore’s concluded that Braintree Town should relocate following recent promotions for the club and because of the ‘poor quality of the existing access’ – something that has dogged the club for many years.
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