AN East Lancashire football club has released the first images of how its £1million new stadium might look.

Colne FC has submitted the coronavirus delayed planning application for the redevelopment of its Holt House base to Pendle Council.

It includes computer-generated graphics of proposed new ground off Birtwistle Avenue.

The redevelopment scheme would see the current 1,300 spectator stadium demolished and new ground with a potential for three new stands taking up to 1,750 fans initially built in its place.

It would have an floodlit 3G artificial pitch, bar area, function and changing rooms and a two smaller 7-a-side grass pitches.

Chairman Ryan Haigh said only the proposed North and South Stands, with a capacity similar to current ground, would be built initially but gaining planning permission would permit the building of a third West Stand to increase capacity if the club progressed up the football pyramid.

If the team reached the National League, or even the main English Football League, planning permission for the fourth East Stand would be sought increasing capacity to required 5,000 crowd.

The new images attached to the planning application show how the ground might look if all four stands were built.

The expansion will allow the club to start a women's team, add a reserve team to its North Premier League North-West Division first team and expand its 300 plus strong junior section for five to18-year-olds.

It will also enable greater community use of the club's facilities.

Mr Haigh said: "We are delighted to have finally been able to submit the planning application.

"It was delayed by coronavirus which put us back a year.

"We are looking initially at a £1million development with North and South stands giving us a like for like 1,300 capacity with permission for a third one if we make progress on the pitch.

"We are hopeful this scheme will get planning permission."

Mr Haigh said the club had raised the initial £1m and would hope to finance any future expansion from increased revenues if the club succeeded in moving up from the current eighth tier of English football.

A Supporting Statement from Lark Architects says: "While the ground has undergone improvement work over the last 30 years, there remains a dire need for redevelopment to secure the future of the football club.

"The redevelopment of Holt House football ground aims to provide both a high quality sporting facility as well as a key community asset.

"The proposal will seek to make the most of a unique, prominent site and serve as a hub for the community of Colne and Pendle."