Flood-hit Gloucester City submits new stadium plan

Gloucester City's Meadow Park, pictured here in 2017, has not been able to host games for almost 12 years

A football club whose ground was destroyed in a huge flood 12 years ago has submitted revised plans for a new stadium.

National League South side Gloucester City AFC has not played at its Meadow Park home since it flooded in 2007.

Planning permission was approved to redevelop the site in 2017, but the £4m plans were later deemed too expensive.

The revised proposal includes scrapping plans for two 500-seater stands in favour of two 350-seater structures.

"This is a massive and necessary step forward in the journey back to Gloucester," said club director Alex Petheram.

"We believe these revised proposals provide the best opportunity for the club to return during the 2019/20 season."

Gloucester City: The club who can't go home

Gloucester City have not played at Meadow Park since the floods of 2007

Tigers chairman Rod Jenner said the new proposal "ticks all the boxes" and hoped the new ground would be open before the end of the year.

He said it will have capacity for about 3,200.

Meadow Park was Gloucester City's home stadium from 1986 until 2007.

Since being forced out by the flood, the club has shared grounds with several local teams including Evesham United, Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers.

The application is expected to take about three months to go through the planning process before it is approved by Gloucester City Council.