MAJOR plans to redevelop Bowers and Pitsea Football Club have been submitted.

The club, off Crown Avenue, Pitsea, is hoping to spend £450,000 on new changing rooms, an office, cafe, boardroom, conference and classroom as well as increasing its capacity.

Facilities manager Darren Scorey said: “We installed our 3G pitch last year.

“This is the next stage of our upgrading to the facilities.

“Our dressing rooms were built in 1974 so they are out of date.

“We have 30 youth teams which has grown from only having a few last year.

“We expect this will cost us between £400,000 and £450,000.

“This is our second biggest investment, following on from our 3G pitch last year which cost us about £600,000.

“So all together we’re spending about £1million on improving our facilities.

“It is a lot of money. We are hoping for some funding from the FA, but we’ve not had confirmation of it yet.

“We’ve already got planning permission for the dressing rooms, but this will make them bigger.

“These will be going behind the stand.”

Mr Scorey said it will benefit the players and teams at the ground.

He explained the team has just won the Isthmian North title and needs better facilities.

He said: “The new stand will give us an extra 50 seats, we will also have a better cafe and dressing rooms for our players.

“It will mean we can have more players, because one set can be on the pitch while another are using the changing rooms.

“We are of course hoping Basildon Council looks favourably on the plans.

“We are hoping to get started in the next few weeks.”

He said as the club is now out of season there is less rush but they want to get works underway as soon as possible. The conference, board and classrooms will help the club extend it’s services to education and hospitality, if the council gives the plans the green light. The council is expected to decide by June 20.