A FOOTBALL club have won a dispute with nearby residents over changes to its ground.

Hawarden Rangers have been successful in their proposals to widen their senior teams' pitch at Gladstone playing fields by seven meters.

This is to meet Football Association Wales (FAW) tier three regulations, the league the club have been in for a number of years.

At its April meeting, Hawarden Community Council rejected proposals for the widening of the pitch, following concerns raised by nearby residents.

The regulations also involve Hawarden Rangers having to erect a seating area for up to 100 people, but these plans were passed by Hawarden Community Council in March 2018 and are now pending approval by Flintshire Council's planning committee.

Despite this, nearby residents also raised concerns the seated area would have on house prices, anti-social behaviour and parking issues in the area.

But following a three-day public consultation over the pitch widening proposal, Hawarden Community Council passed the plans after both a public and council vote in favour of the widening at its meeting on Monday (June 10).

The walk-in public vote saw 246 votes cast, with 188 voting in favour of the proposal and 63 against. There was also a vote via email, with 99 in favour and only 10 against.

The plans were passed after the community council voted in favour of the proposals by 11 votes to four.

Founded in 1974, the club, whose former players include the likes of Michael Owen and Ian Rush, is currently made up of 250 juniors and 70 senior members.

But the row had left the future of the club uncertain, with fears for the amount of junior and senior players the club would be able to attract if they were unable to compete in tier three.