Football ground improvement plan set for approval

Plans to improve the ground of a growing football club in Leicester are set to be approved, despite objections to the scheme.

GNG FC wants to develop a 100-seater stand and a covered viewing platform at the Riverside Football Ground in Braunstone Lane, where it has been based since 2014.

The scheme is due to be discussed by Leicester City Council's planning committee on Wednesday and has been recommended for approval by officers.

There have been 16 objections to the proposal, including concerns about the potential appearance of the site from people living nearby, crowd noise, and parking issues on nearby streets.

Concerns were also raised that the scheme may worsen flooding, which already affects the area.

A proposal to place four storage containers at the ground to protect equipment has also led to complaints about their appearance.

The football ground sits next to Ellesmere College, a special needs school, which has also objected, saying it feared pupils might seek to leave the school grounds and go to the new stand, where they could be at risk of falling.

In documents lodged with planners, the club said: "The Riverside Football Ground has been a great success story and created opportunities to participate in football for people of all ages and from all different backgrounds.

"As the club has grown in stature over the past few years, its success has led to the need for ground improvements."

The club said its proposal was intended to improve access and security at the ground and bring it up to the standard of other clubs in the same league, the Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division.

"These minor changes will look to ensure longevity of this purpose-built sports ground, therefore making the site use sustainable in the long-term," the club added.

The club said the containers were temporary and a condition was set to be attached to the planning permission that they be removed within five years.

City council planners said they believed Ellesmere College's objection could be dealt with through discussions with the club.

They also said they thought it was unlikely the development would lead to noise or highways issues.

On balance, the benefits of the scheme outweighed the harm, the planners added.

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