Plans for Town's new stadium on show

And fans get their chance to see the plans when the club hold a public exhibition at their current Watnall Road base on Saturday (July 4) between 10.30 am and 4 pm.

Town hope to be at their new, purpose-built ground, across the road off Aerial Way, by the start of the 2010/11 season.

They have been ironing out every little detail to make sure a planning decision can be made without any hitch.

After tomorrow's exhibition, the club will lodge an application with the council and cross their fingers for a more favourable reaction than they received when plans were first submitted three years ago.

Former chairman Brian Holmes, who is now Town's development manager, said: "We believe this scheme provides an unrivalled opportunity to secure our long-term future, with dramatically enhanced playing and social facilities, which will also benefit the wider community.

"We hope the new stadium will be a catalyst for broadened interest in the club and provide much-needed new football faciilties for youngsters in the town.

"It is not possible for these new facilities to be achieved on the existing ground. The proximity of the proposed new ground is a bonus to the club."

The key to the success of the plans is the proposed building of more than 100 two or three-bedroomed houses, plus office-based business units, on the Watnall Road site, which is owned by Bolsover Properties.

Bolsover are keen to eject Town from Watnall Road, so that they can develop the site. As compensation, they are providing, and paying for, the new stadium.

Peter Frampton, a planning consultant for Town and Bolsover Properties, said: "The basis of the planning-application submissions is that residential development on the existing ground is necessary to enable the relocation of Hucknall Town Football Club to the proposed new ground.

"Planning permission for redevelopment of the existing ground would not be granted unless the club are successful in securing planning permission for the new stadium."

A statement from the club read: "The ability to finance the location of the club to a new home is dependent on the planning permission being granted for residential and business development on the existing football ground.

"The existing ground is already partly allocated for business in the Ashfield Local Plan."

Ashfield Council have consistently rejected the idea that development could go ahead at Watnall Road until Town have been found a new ground.

But they threw out Town's initial planning application for a 2.5 million stadium back in October 2006 in any case.

The application included a scheme to build 133 houses on the current ground. But the council turned down the whole plan because it contravened rules governing development of open space on both sites.

It is unclear whether the council will have a change of heart this time round.

The Aerial Way stadium would have an initial capacity of 3,000 and consist of a main pitch, grass training pitch, three covered stands, 800 seats, floodlights, changing rooms, catering facilities and a clubhouse and hospitality suite.

The development would also include three mini-pitches for Hucknall youngsters to use, complete with separate changing rooms.

Holmes added that he hoped many members of the public will go along to the exhibition and comment on the plans.