SCARBOROUGH’S new sports village is a step closer to becoming a reality as planning permission has been granted.

On Thursday afternoon members of the Scarborough Ladies FC committee were in the Borough Council chambers to hear the application be approved.

Once built, the site will provide community facilities for the whole of the town, including a 3G pitch, a swimming pool, squash courts and more, on the site of the old coach park in Weaponness Valley.

Club chairman James Hunter said: “It’s great news for the sporting community, for the town as a whole and, of course, for Scarborough Ladies FC.

“As a key partner in the behind-the-scenes progress of the project, it’s been a long and detailed process to get to this stage, with consultations and numerous meetings taking place in the background to give the proposals the best possible chance of becoming reality. We are delighted that all that hard work by the council and others is bearing fruit.

He added: “With more than 100 girls playing junior football for the club this season, and with additional teams planned in the younger age groups and a new adult open-age team starting next season, we are probably one of the largest football clubs in the town, if not the county. So to have a facility of such stature to utilise will only help us grow ever larger.”