A FOOTBALL club is teaming up with a village charity to create a new base for itself, while also providing improved facilities for a boxing club and the wider community.

The Chester-le-Street Town Football Club and Chester Moor Village Scheme have unveiled plans for a new two-storey clubhouse at Moor Park, off the A168.

The club got permission to build a new one-storey clubhouse and Multi-Use Games Area (Muga) two years ago.

But, while the Muga scheme was built, there were insufficient funds to proceed with the clubhouse.

Club chairman Joe Burlison: “We are now joining up with the Chester Moor Village Scheme, to build a two-storey building.

“The top floor will house the football club, which is also a registered charity, while the ground floor will provide facilities for boxing club and keep fit club that are currently using the nearby village hall.

“What we will be doing is bringing it all together under one roof.”

He added: “It is significant development for the club. What we currently have is past its sell by date. In fact both buildings are. That’s why it is necessary to go forward with their new proposals.

“We are already in discussions to get an idea of where we might be able to go to get funding. Once we have planning permission we will be in a position to approach funding bodies such as Sport England for funding toward the project.

Village scheme trustee Peter Lawson said: “The charity gets income from football club and keep fit and boxing clubs.

“The village hall needs a lot of upkeep and probably could do with improvements, which we are hoping to do while this other grand scheme is being pursued.

“The new clubhouse will provide much better facilities for the boxing, keep fit and and football clubs and will hopefully also be used as a social facility by the villagers.

The football club, which is also a registered charity, fields 22 youth teams from 6-18 years, an under-23 male reserve and a senior team which plays in the Northern League Division One. It also has under-18 development female which feeds the senior ladies who play in Premier League Division One.

A planning application has been submitted to Durham County Council.