Shrewsbury Town get go-ahead for stadium concerts

The club has been given permission to expand events at Greenhous Meadow. Shropshire Council has also agreed that the club can increase the number of parking spaces at the site on Oteley Road to a total of 1,000.

The changes are part of a plan to expand "non-football events" at the stadium.

The stadium was built in 2007 with conditions stopping it from holding a number of events without prior permission from Shropshire Council.

But after years of growth, the club says it wants more "flexibility" over what it can hold at the site each year and now Shropshire Council has agreed it can host six events a year.

Stuart Thomas, of Berry's, on behalf of Shrewsbury Town, said that moving to a new stadium has been a "catalyst" for boosting its profile and the number of events taking place at the club.

It has also held a number of international matches for England under-21s and hosted more than 15,000 people when Sir Elton John held a concert at the ground in 2011.

Mr Thomas said: "There is a lack of appropriate venues in Shropshire to host such events and sporting stadiums naturally lend themselves to these concerts at this scale.

"While no further events have since taken place the club would like to have the flexibility in place to market the venue to promoters in the future.

"In doing so this would undoubtedly have a positive knock-on effect on the economy of the town and the county as whole with increased tourism, hotel bookings and spending in local shops and tourist facilities.

"The primary use of the stadium would of course remain for footballing purposes for the majority of the year and therefore the proposal would be to place an upper limit of six events during any calendar year."

The club says it has an "over-provision" of coach spaces and instead will re-work the current provision and white lines to create the extra car parking spaces.

Mr Thomas added: "The club are committed to ensuring long term success both on and off the field. To do so, and ensure continued investment, means that they need to maximise all additional revenue streams."

An official decision was issued by officers on Thursday, giving permission through delegated powers.