PETERSFIELD Rugby Club has been granted permission to go ahead with developments to improve their changing room and function facilities.
The club had two applications for the development. One would rely on a National Lottery Sports Fund grant and the other, Òfall backÓ application, would be affordable if the grant money was not allocated.
Last week East Hampshire District Council agreed to both applications, so the club will be able to go through with the extensions with or without the grant money.
The rugby club is based at Penns Place where they have their clubhouse and lease part of Penns Field as rugby pitches.
They recently lost the use of the changing rooms in the Taro Leisure Centre and need to provide those facilities for club and visiting teams. Temporary permission for three years was recently granted for two portable changing rooms.
The first planning application was for a permanent extension to the northern end of the clubhouse (the rear when viewed from Penns Place). The plans add about half as much again to the size of the clubhouse by providing four additional changing rooms on the ground floor and an additional social area on the first floor.
The extension would be one-and-a-half storeys high, with the social area within the roof space. The extended space would compensate for the loss of the Taro facilities.
The alternate scheme plans to double the size of the clubhouse by providing four additional changing rooms and four officialsÕ rooms on the ground floor, and an additional social area on the first floor.
The existing balcony would be extended for the full length of the building. The extended space would more than compensate for the loss of the Taro facilities.
This plan would meet Sport England regulations and make the club eligible for funding.
Neither Sport England nor Petersfield Town Council raised any objections to the applications.