STALYBRIDGE Celtic are celebrating after being given permission to build a new fan zone and VIP area at its Bower Fold stadium.
The Northern Premier League West Division club will now place three shipping containers, one straddling two below, after Tameside Council said yes to their planning application.
And news of the go ahead has been greeted with delight by club bosses.
The new fan zone, which will go in the corner close to where the old social club stood, will see two ground floor containers hosting food catering and a bar.
One above would be a new VIP area with a rooftop balcony and a new multi-use play area will have a new AstroTurf/picnic space.
New security fencing to the eastern entrance point, adjacent to the turnstiles, will also be installed, while alterations to the function room will see a new internal layout with a new kitchen/bar area.
A new bar hatch as well as new double doors will also be placed in.
Few objections were stated, other than concerns from the Peak and Northern Footpath Society, which stated nearby Public Rights of Way must not be affected plus a member of the public worried about it potentially receiving a night club license.
However, when approving the scheme, Tameside Council stated: “The new fan zone building would not be overly dominant in the wider context of the football ground or completely out of keeping in terms of materials.
“The containers would also be partially screened by the new fencing and main turnstiles building at the site entrance.
“In order to ‘soften’ the appearance of the shipping containers, and to add a touch of detailing particularly at the higher level, the plans have been amended at the request of officers to include western red cedar cladding to the east facing side elevation of the ‘bridge.’
“The proposed development would not unacceptably impact on the visual amenity of the area and the residential amenity of surrounding properties subject to conditions.”
Those conditions include the outdoor food and bar units only being used in connection with the main function room and on both weekday and weekend match days ancillary to the main use of the site as Bower Fold stadium.
The proposed fan zone must only open between noon and 10pm Monday to Thursday and Sunday and noon and 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Stalybridge Celtic, under the ownership of Nigel Jones and Paul Bowden, has made no secret of its desire to improve the matchday experience.
Documents backing the application state: “The stadium shows plenty of potential for redevelopment and intensification for its business use.
“Games are currently under attended, the club would like to improve attendance and improve its business plan and hopefully plan for the legacy moving forwards of the team and its success.
“Clubs such as this can be an absolutely crucial and pivotal focus to a local community.
“The main turnstiles and fan entrance to the site is on the north east corner. This area has been undergoing demolition and refurbishments for some time and the club feels that it’s now time to incorporate a holistic approach to the improvement of the fan experience in this area.”