TALKS about a future site for a growing football club have been held with council officials.

Stockton Town FC bid to create two new stands at its ground off Bishopton Road West was unanimously approved at a planning committee on Wednesday. But questions were raised over whether the club was outgrowing its current home.

The Anchors sit in fifth place in the Northern Premier League’s east division – and top the table for home attendances this season with an average of 608 people coming through the turnstiles. The club risked relegation from the eighth tier of English football if they didn’t win planning approval for a new 200-seater stand, and a standing area for up to 120 fans at the ground’s southern end.

Hartburn councillor Lynn Hall said they couldn’t argue the club needed improvements to stay in their current league. But she told the committee how match noise could be heard from Sparks Bakery, off Bishopton Avenue.

Cllr Hall said: “My concern is that we as Stockton Council should now be looking at looking for a future football stadium. I’m delighted that this football club is going from strength to strength – but we’ve got to future-proof it and this might not be the site.

“The concentration of other facilities around that junction is unacceptable.”

Cllr Eileen Johnson didn’t think the new stands would encourage extra fans in.

However, she added: “Eventually, in future – and I don’t know how long in the future – it may be that if the town of Stockton wants to retain a football club then, yes, it will need a bigger ground. But that’s not for the here and now.”

Planning chief Simon Grundy confirmed conversations had taken place with club officials about the longer term home of the club – and the limitations of its current ground. He added: “We all accept that if they continue to grow, and are successful, then this probably isn’t a long term site for the football club.

“That is something officers are liaising with the football club on.”

In the meantime, the committee agreed to the ground improvements to help the club meet FA standards.

But not before some neighbours shared concerns about noise. Resident Steph Irish felt the club was outgrowing its home – saying she could hear the public address system from her front bedroom.

“I don’t think there are enough parking facilities for this either and I think it’s on a bad junction,” she added. She also accused some fans – visiting or otherwise – of looking through windows at those attending nearby yoga classes on one occasion.

Ms Irish added: “They’re growing (the club) and they’re coming back for more. Why don’t they go somewhere and find a big piece of land in Portrack where they’re not disturbing neighbours?

“They want to be good neighbours but they’re not – they’re coming back for things all the time.”

A 3.5m high acoustic fence has been lined up backing onto Chivers Court and Meridian Way to absorb some of the noise.

Stockton Town have seen a string of promotions from the Wearside League and the Northern League in the past decade.

Club chairman Martin Hillerby told councillors their success in recent years had gone beyond their expectations. He added: “We must provide a minimum standard of spectator accommodation to play at the levels we do within the national league system – and this is set by the FA.

“The proposal is not about growing a stadium beyond the capabilities of the infrastructure around it. It’s simply providing a minimum standard of accommodation – and failure to provide these facilities would have forced relegation as a consequence.”

Mr Hillerby said the new stands would offer extra shelter from winter weather while giving older fans a place to sit down when watching matches. He added: “Our crowds are purely related to our success on the pitch – and not because of ground infrastructure.”

The chairman also said the club was in constant open dialogue with the authorities – adding they did not attract complaints “despite what was portrayed elsewhere”.

The meeting heard just one noise complaint had been lodged to Stockton Council since the club’s 2015 application. Cllr Johnson hoped the new acoustic fencing would help those living nearby.

The new stands were eventually approved by all councillors. Stockton Town host Ossett United this Saturday.