A FOOTBALL club's hopes of survival could receive a massive boost if planning officials approve a housing development on its site.

Non-league Thornaby Town FC is facing closure unless essential improvements are made to its rundown facilities by next April. Persistent vandal attacks have left the cash-strapped club needing £70,000 to bring the ground up to Football Association standards.

Club officials are hopeful that the plans to build 48 two-bedroom apartments and 16 single room apartments will be passed by Stockton Borough Council next week. As part of the scheme, on land off Acklam Road, Thornaby, the developer will build a new clubhouse and changing facilities, while also improving access to the site and installing secure fencing.

Club chairman Lol Lyons said: "We are confident that the application will be successful and that should help secure our future. We are a communitybased club, with six junior teams playing at the club, and it would be a catastrophe if we were forced to close.

"There are certain FA criteria that we need to fill and one of those is a clubhouse, which we don't have at the minute. This planning scheme will provide us with one as part of the deal.

"We have worked closely with Thornaby Town Council and Stockton Borough Council throughout the planning process, so hopefully the scheme should satisfy councillors.

"The club has been working on these proposals for over three years and we can almost see an end in sight. There are probably still some fine details to work through, but we are extremely hopeful they can all be resolved.

"On the pitch, the team started slowly, but is now gathering momentum. We have a young, talented team and the future looks good. It would be a shame to lose it when we are so close to achieving our goals."

The application is due to go before Stockton Council's planning committee from 1.30pm on Wednesday, in Stockton central library.

Officers are recommending approval subject to certain planning conditions, including sufficient affordable housing, sufficient open space and highway safety measures.