York Cricket and Rugby Club has scored planning approval for a new rugby stand.

The stand at club on Shipton Road, Clifton, will replace an existing stand which has been vandalised and suffers wear and tear.

York Rugby Union Club president Micky Negri said: "It's all good news. We're all excited."

But due to the rising cost of materials, its projected cost has risen from around £140,000 since the application was submitted a year ago, to closer to £200,000 today.

Micky told the Press: “We will have to re-invent the costings and timeline, and probably start next March-April.”

The club has already begun fundraising for the scheme, receiving support from Persimmon Homes, amongst others, and expects to have the money raised in time. A fundraising committee will reconvene to complete the fundraising, adding to the “lots of donations received already," Micky added.

The stand will be called the Wood-Butler stand - in honour of both Jack M Wood, a former player, captain, president and Lord Mayor of York and Donald Butler, former player, captain and volunteer for 69 years.

In their deliberations, City of York Council planning staff said the proposed larger stand, and the removal of a tree to allow it, would have been an inappropriate development for the Green Belt location.

But it was a ‘very special circumstance’ as the growing club needs a bigger stand and five trees would be planted elsewhere to offset the loss of the mature lime tree.

Council planners also noted no response or opposition when it consulted nearby residents or highways and other bodies about the application.

The replacement stand at 181m2, will be almost three times the 64m2 size of the current stand and would include both toilet and refreshment facilities. It will house 140 spectators, both sitting and standing.

The club told the council the scheme was ‘very special circumstance’ as York RUFC has recently been promoted and needs “an enlarged facility in order to satisfy the requirements of higher leagues and to cater for enhanced numbers of spectators.”

At present 400-500 attend its matches, set to increase with promotion, and the existing stand could not cope. The new stand also forms part of wider improvements of the club, including a better clubhouse and new tennis and cricket pavilions.

A full-time coach and director of rugby has been appointed, with expanded training for juniors seeing 300 junior playing at the pitch on Sundays, many of which go on to play with the senior team.  A ladies Rugby team is also being developed in conjunction with York University.

Overall, planners concluded, “very special circumstances” were demonstrated and “the development is acceptable in planning terms.”