PLANS to build an extension to the main stand at Basingstoke Town's future home have been granted.

As previously reported in the Gazette, the club are in the process of upgrading the Hampshire FA headquarters in Winklebury in order to return there next season. They have had a planning application for turnstiles and other improvements to the ground approved, before submitting a separate application to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for an extension onto the main stand, to allow for a second officials' changing room to be built.

The current layout will be updated to allow for the extra changing room, with the director's room relocated to the extension.

The plans reveal that the new extension will be three metres tall, compared to the seven metre tall stand.

The document continues: "The single storey extension to the existing Main Stand will use materials to match those on the existing building, with the exception of the roof which will be a low pitched profile metal cladding."

Currently, the stadium at Winklebury is graded in category F by the Football Association. At their current level, Basingstoke must play at category D.

The latest plans, submitted to the council last month, will see an extra changing room built for officials, a requirement at category C, which is on a par as the Camrose ground.

However, more development will need to be done to the rest of the Winklebury site in order for it to reach category C grading.

It comes after the campaign to keep the Camrose ground, the historic home of Basingstoke Town, as a football stadium was handed a boost last week.

Basingstoke council have objected to a Hampshire County Council plan to build a road through the site.

The plans came as part of a host of improvements to nearby Brighton Hill roundabout. In the proposal, the southbound entry from Western Way onto Brighton Hill roundabout will be closed, with traffic instead being routed through the Camrose ground and onto Winchester Road.

HCC are yet to make a final decision on the plans.

Whilst work continues to temporarily relocate the club to Winklebury whilst a like-for-like stadium to the Camrose is sorted, the club announced that they have secured the use of Winchester City's ground for a second year, should they need it.

The club are hopeful of being able to play at Winklebury when the new season starts, but have the option of ground-sharing at Winchester should works run over.