Stevenage Borough FC has received planning permission for a 22,000sq ft health and fitness complex next to its £1m Football Academy.

The club plans to use 5,000sq ft of the new building, but aims to find a fitness club operator to take on the remaining 17,000sq ft.

Situated on seven acres next to the A602, the Football Academy was completed nine months ago and is running at 90 per cent capacity with more than 2,000 people visiting each week.

Phil Wallace, chair of Stevenage Borough FC, said: “We’ve constructed the main road access and our own football academy facilities while waiting for planning consent for the size and type of building we felt would justify the main road location.

“We’re now looking for a health and fitness partner who can take advantage of the site, the high density of people movement outside the front door and the strong brand loyalty of Stevenage people to Stevenage Borough FC.”