Gloucester increase their Kingsholm

Gloucester have approval to build a new stand at Kingsholm to increase the capacity of the ground and to add to its comfort and effectiveness.

The Gloucester council's approval allows them to build a new seven-thousand seater which will include cooperate suites, changerooms, a function room, a ticket office, a supporters' shop, media facilities and staff offices. This will increase the capacity of the ground from 13 000 to 16 500.

The club hopes to be able to start its building soon and have the stand ready for the start of next season.

There will also be the relocation of the existing study support centre, provided through a government initiative, to create after-school teaching for disadvantaged children. The facility is currently located in the present Grandstand and is a part of the new proposal..

Commenting on the club's web site, managing director Ken Nottage said: "It's great news for everyone, but now we have to focus on the project and fine tune every detail and every time scale.

"If we go ahead with the project, we need to make a decision whether it will be for the start of the 2005/06 season or the next one.

"There are a huge number of logistics to take into account, and over the next few weeks we'll be working on it."

This new development will follow the one completed this year, of which Nottage said: "The new Buildbase Stand has been a huge success at Kingsholm, and it's only been up and running just over three months.

"This new proposal is the next step. We want to stay in Kingsholm and you only have to look at what Gloucester is like on match day to see how important it is to the city and the community.

"The new facility has much more than just 7,000 new seats, and that can only be good for the Club as a whole.

"We've met with local residents and other people who we feel are part of this project and if we progress with it, we will make it work for everyone."