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Leicester City’s ambition to create Europe’s best football training ground have taken a massive step forward tonight.

The club has this evening secured planning permission to turn a 185 acre golf and fishing complex off the A46, eight miles north of Leicester, into a sprawling £100 million complex where the first team squad will practice.

Members of Charnwood Borough Council’s planning committee met in Loughborough tonight to debate the Foxes’ plans to relocate from their current training base at Aylestone in the city.

After a two hour and 20 minute discussion they voted by eight to four to approve the ambitious project.

(Image: Leicester City FC/KSS Design Group)

The club and supporters will be delighted with the green light given to the scheme because it is hoped improved training facilities will help drive to secure a place among the elite clubs of England and ultimately Europe.

Some opposition

However the proposals have not had complete backing.

poll loading Do you like Leicester City's new training ground plans? 1000+ VOTES SO FAR Yes, and they're vital to the club's future success They're not bad but the club must be a good neighbour NOT. IN. MY. BACK. YARD

Some people living near the former Park Hill Golf Course, which City plans to transform, have opposed the move.

Charnwood council received around 170 objections to the club’s application.

Concerns include nearby residents’ fears about noise from cheering crowds at a planned 499-seat spectator pitch.

Worries have also been lodged about light pollution from floodlights and the impact of extra traffic on nearby rural roads.

There are also concerns over vehicle movement at the busy junction of Park Hill Lane and the A46.

There was a call for the club to fund a new bridge over the junction so people coming to and from the new training ground would not have to negotiate multiple lanes of fast moving traffic on the A46.

Seagrave Parish Councillor Roger Brown said: "This is a vast closed business enterprise for the benefit of an elite few."

Despite these concerns, however, planning officers at the council have reviewed the club’s proposals and said they were acceptable.

Niall Alcock, representing the club, said the training ground's design process has taken into account residents' concerns and that the complex would be the most advanced in Europe.

(Image: Leicester City FC/KSS Design Group)

What will the club build?

A covered show pitch with 499 seats, spectator toilets and an elevated camera platform

12 full size football pitches

Six part-size size grass pitches

Two goalkeeper areas

One attacking area

Five warm-up and technical training areas

A sports hall

A training centre to be used by the first team and academy with hydrotherapy, medical , rehabilitation and dining facilities.

It will also have education facilities, offices, 30 bedrooms for the players and management.

Stores and its own power plant

421 parking spaces with eight coach parking bays with disabled and electric car parking spaces.

The UK’s first sports turf academy to train groundsmen

After the meeting a club spokesman said: "We welcome the approval of its proposals by the planning committee and the opportunity to deliver on its pledge of a world-class facility befitting Leicestershire’s traditions of sporting excellence.

"We hope to make this the start of a strong relationship for the collective benefit of our surrounding communities.”