Non-league football club's stadium upgrade plan

A non-league football club in Leicestershire has submitted plans to upgrade its stadium after being promoted last season.

Harborough Town Football Club were promoted to the seventh tier of English football in May after winning the Northern Premier League Midlands Division play-off final.

The club has submitted plans to install new turnstiles, build a new directors' block and increase the capacity of its ground in Northampton Road, Market Harborough.

Senior officials said the plans would “future-proof” the club.

A planning application for a new 154-seater covered stand and other facilities was submitted to Harborough District Council.

Siobhan Brewin, chair of trustees at Harborough Town, said in a planning statement: “Whilst considering the growth of the club and the desire to progress to higher levels of the football pyramid, we are looking to future-proof the club.

"We have concluded that the best option would be to add a covered, seated stand next to the large 100-seated stand.

"The existing smaller 100 covered seated stand would need to be moved to the far end of the pitch to allow for the new 154-seated stand to be installed."

Some of the upgrades are being made due to mandatory requirements set by the Football Association's Ground Grading system following the club's promotion.

Failure to make them by March 2025 would result in automatic relegation to the league below.

The project would also see 120 more car parking spaces and a new emergency exit gates installed if the plans are given the go ahead.

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