Boro coming back to town after Weaponness plans are approved

Despite several objections at the meeting, there was an overwhelming support for the project, which should see Scarborough Athletic playing back in town in the next couple of seasons.

A delighted Boro chairman Dave Holland said: “This is great news for our long-suffering fans.

“Scarborough finally has a community football club again.

“There is so much work that has gone on from people behind the scenes and I can’t thank them enough.

“This will hopefully bring fans back to the club and, most importantly, means there is something there for future generations to get behind.”

Joint boss Paul Foot was also pleased to hear the announcement as he watched the meeting unfold on Twitter.

He said: “I’m over the moon.

“I was watching it all happen on Twitter and Facebook and I was delighted when I saw that they’d been approved.

“It just shows how much it means to the people of Scarborough to have their football club back in town and hopefully it means we can kick on now.”

Foot is hoping that fans will support the club in what could be their last season playing at Bridlington Town’s Queensgate base and help them start progressing before they return.

He added: “Why wait until we return to come out and support us, come and join the party next season and help us come back with a bang.

“Come out and support us and help us get promotion next year and then we can really kick on. If we are getting crowds of 500-plus through the turnstiles it will really make a difference.

“It’s massive news, not only for the club, but for the town.”

The Weaponness Valley Community Group, which opposed the plans, told The Scarborough News it will be meeting to see if members want to press ahead with a judicial review.

The plans for Leisure Village, which also include a swimming pool and other sport facilities for the community, still need to be signed off by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

A decision will be made within the next 21 days.