An artist's impression of the new South stand

Norwich City Council planners gave the club the thumbs up to build a new south stadium at its ageing Carrow Road ground and 300 new riverside flats.

The club said it needed the money from the sale of the flats, to be built on the club's car park, to finance the new development.

Celebrity chef Delia Smith, the Canaries' majority shareholder, had to miss the meeting.

She was at home in bed recovering from a virus.

Everyone associated with Norwich City Football Club - that's staff, supporters and players - must be thrilled with today's news Canaries' chief executive Neil Doncaster

So her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones made an impassioned plea on her behalf to Thursday morning's council meeting.

He said if the plans were not approved the implications for the club would be disastrous.

When planning permission was granted he immediately phoned home to tell Delia the good news.

"Her first words were 'Thank God for that'. She was really, really happy," he said.

Neil Doncaster, the club's chief executive, said it was an important day for the club.

The riverside flats will go on the current car park

"Everyone associated with Norwich City Football Club - that's staff, supporters and players - must be thrilled with today's news," he said.

"It's a massive, massive day for the club."

Recent results mean Norwich City's chances of making the Premiership next season have evaporated.

But getting approval for the development is seen as a major step towards putting the club back on a firm financial footing and getting it back into football's top flight.