Tranmere Rovers' Fan Park gets green light

Yesterday's game away at Hartlepool may have been postponed, but today there's good news about the future of Tranmere Rovers.

A brand new 'fan park' is set to be built at the club's Prenton Park ground, after it passed a "major hurdle".

The venue, which will have space for up to 800 people inside and 400 outside, has been approved by Wirral Council.

The facility could significantly change the matchday experience for fans of the Wirral-based club.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ben Harrison, chair of the Tranmere Rovers Trust, said: "This [planning permission] has been a long time coming and we'd like to thank the council.

"It has been one of the major hurdles to overcome and we're delighted it has gone through."

Mr Harrison also gave an idea of when fans can expect the fan park to be ready.

He added: "We're hoping to see work start in late February or early March. It will then take about three or four months to build so we're hoping it will be open in the summer."

This means the venue is set to be ready for the start of next season, which could see Rovers playing in League 1 given their performances this season which have seen them climb to third in the table.

As well as being used on matchdays, the fan park will be used during the week as a cafe, lunch and evening venue and bar, offering a wide range of food.

Organisers also plan to host weddings, conferences, award dinners and a variety of different events throughout the year.

In May, Mr Harrison said the fan park would cost between £1.5m and £2m.

The League 2 club then declared the cost of the fan park to be £1.6m and managed to get £1.3m together for the project.

During the summer, the LDRS reported the club's trust had set up a crowdfunding campaign to get the remaining £350,000.

Many supporters chipped in, with incentives such as having their name printed on a wall plaque inside the fan park offered.

Ultimately, the campaign helped the club to ensure the fan park could be funded and supporters can expect to enjoy the new facility next season.