PLANS which could see further development of facilities at a Wee County rugby club have been hailed as a "massive opportunity".

If ideas come to fruition, Alloa Rugby Football Club could benefit from two brand new pitches and upgraded facilities as part of a major housing development.

It is still early days, but Allanwater Development Ltd has lodged a "proposal of application notice" with Clackmannanshire Council, signalling it intends to submit details, in the future, for a large number of houses in the south of Alloa.

A location plan, attached to the notice, shows the Earlsfield grounds of Alloa RFC are included and the Advertiser learned there is a massive opportunity for the team to build on recent developments and further enhance their offering to members and locals.

It will all be subject to planning permissions with applications to come further down the line.

Gary McPhail, vice-president at Alloa Rugby Club, said: "It's a massive opportunity for us to get the facilities upgraded.

"It will work for both parties, we'd get the opportunity to get two new pitches, which we are in need of, along other bits and bobs that need to get done at the club.

"Most of that will depend on planning permission.

"We will work hard in the negotiations to get the best deal for our members, it is exciting."

Not only that, a facelift for the club could bring even more sporting opportunities to benefit the wider area in general.

And it all follows on from recent welcome developments, like last year's clubhouse extension, which brought integrated showers for dressing rooms – important for women's teams and indeed, training started for the ladies just last week.

That extension also involved a fitness suite, well-used by the many youngsters who are involved in the successful youth teams and who are going to be key beneficiaries of the potential development.

A spokeswoman for Allanwater Developments Ltd, which lodged the notice with the local authority's planning department, added: "This is a pre-application notice which involves a mutually beneficial exchange of land.

"It will provide new modern pitches and facilities to the rugby club, whilst allowing Allanwater Homes to continue building at the Alloa Park development."