PLANS for a £200,000 youth academy at Frinton Cricket Club have been given the green light.

The centre in Ashlyns Road will have two indoor nets so players can practise all year round and all the latest high-tech training equipment.

The centre will primarily to serve a youth academy at the club, but there will also be a new reception area, changing area and toilets within the existing clubhouse.

The aim is also to provide access for people with disabilities of both sexes and all entrances will have level access.

The latest application made to Tendring Council follows on from previous ones granted in 2013 and 2014 which were never implemented.

The current plans propose a smaller building with a new design but in the same location at the ground.

Frinton Cricket Club, which dates back to 1909, is sited within a protected area of existing recreational space, and the scheme will provide an all year round facility, especially for the club’s youth sections.

A spokesman for Tendring Council said: “This proposal will help with the club’s ongoing development and does not encroach onto the open countryside beyond.

“It will involve a considerable enhancement in facilities for a club already playing at a high level and will help attract more youngsters.”

Frinton and Walton Town Council supported the application.

The club hopes the new facility will be open by the start of the next season.

Bosses say it will give teams the edge over the opposition.