BURNLEY need a £1million facelift to meet Premier League standards.

Following an assessment by top flight league and Sky Television officials, the newly-promoted Clarets have been told they require improvement work to the changing and press facilities.

Both the television gantry and press box, situated at the back of the James Hargreaves Stand upper tier, must be extended, with television monitors attached to the work benches – a standard requirement of the Premier League.

The dressing rooms must also be extended, but the club has six months to complete this project, and chief executive Paul Fletcher believes this could mark the beginning of the ground redevelopment.

The multi-million pound scheme to improve Turf Moor and the Gawthorpe training base was shelved in light of the recession.

However, the Clarets’ £60million windfall for winning promotion to the Premier League, via last week’s play-off final at Wembley, has allowed them to re-visit their plans, although chairman Barry Kilby says they will wait at least 12 months before making any significant alterations.

“There are things that we need to implement at Turf Moor,” said Fletcher, who will accompany Kilby to their first Premier League meeting, in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, tomorrow.

“The television gantry has to be twice as big as it is now and the press seating area needs to be extended because there will be more journalists at each game.

“The dressing rooms don’t comply to the certain Premier League standards, although we can ask for dispensation in doing the work to these.

“Altogether it could cost anything up to £1million.

“But we are moving forward with the plans to re-develop the ground now, and I’m hoping work on the new (David Fishwick) stand will start about this time next year.”