Members of Kent County Cricket Club have approved plans for a £10m redevelopment of its St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury.

Planning permission was granted by the city council in June this year, and almost 2,000 of the club’s members attended a special meeting earlier this month to give the final go ahead to the scheme.

A majority of 1,347 members voted in favour of the plans, which include the sale of two areas of the ground for housing and the long lease of a site for a 130-bedroom hotel and a health and fitness centre.

Capital receipts from the transactions will enable Kent – who are the current Twenty20 Cup champions – to carry out an extensive refurbishment programme for the ground and build a new conference centre, new offices, retail units, a physiotherapy/rehabilitation facility and a cricket museum.

Club chair, Carl Openshaw, said: “I am delighted that the members have voted so strongly in favour of our proposals and I believe that the outcome of the meeting is a vote of confidence in the club’s plans for the future of the St Lawrence Ground.

“Kent play cricket at Canterbury on only 40 days a year and it is clear that members recognise that it is vital for the future of the club that we upgrade the facilities at the ground and generate additional revenue on a year-round basis.”

Several cricket grounds, including Edgbaston in Warwickshire, the Rose Bowl in Southampton and Old Trafford in Manchester have all announced revamps this year.