Lancaster City Council's planning committee agreed with recommendations to build the new multi-million pound stadium on council-owned land at the current Westgate Wanderers football field, subject to various conditions.

There is a lot of 'red tape' still to go through but officials at Morecambe FC remain confident that the scheme is progressing as they would want.

Full planning permission was given for the stadium, an outdoor multi-sports area, a new access road from Westgate, circulation roads, 264 car parking spaces and eight coach parking spaces.

Outline permission was given for a 40-bedroom hotel, seven food and drink establishments, a drive-though restaurant, a club shop, 76 car parking spaces and a public amenity space.

Rod Taylor, chief executive of Morecambe FC, said: "It's a big day in the history of the club.

"It's another hurdle overcome and this is one of the major ones."
When asked about the 44 conditions applied to the planning permission, Rod said: "There doesn't seem to be anything too onerous there.

"I don't think there will be any major problem with it - we can meet them and deliver the stadium on the time schedule."

In a detailed council report on the proposal, planners praised the work that had been done so far by Morecambe FC to address any concerns raised by the scheme.

It said: "To meet FA standards the club would need to undertake numerous and expensive alterations to their existing ground at Christie Park.

"It is therefore more efficient for the club to find a new ground to build an FA-compliant stadium and pitch."

But the report also warned that the management of transport to and from the new stadium was a "critical" issue.

It said "gaps in bus services" and other parts of the transport network would be filled by over £150,000 worth of funding through Lancashire County Council Highways.

The report also said plans have been drawn up to ensure the level and location of any on-street parking near the new ground would be "appropriately controlled".

It welcomed an outline agreement to use Westgate School for spectator parking on match days and said plans for coach parking had also been resolved to their satisfaction.

The report noted the receipt of 16 letters from residents objecting to the scheme on several grounds including increased noise, loss of open space and fears of anti-social behaviour.

The stadium will have capacity for 6,918 spectators - 4,966 standing, 1,898 seated and 54 wheelchair spaces - with scope for converting to all-seater in the future if the club desired.

In June it was announced that Morecambe was now working towards opening the new ground in 2010/2011, rather than the original schedule for 2009/10, due to delays in certain legal processes associated with the plans.

Westgate Wanderers have already gained permission to move to King George's Field on Lordsome Road, Heysham.