Long-held plans to build a new football stadium and a series of pitches on the border between South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire could finally be moving forward.

Gresley Rovers FC have planned to move from their current Moat Ground home to a plot of vacant land off Bridge Street between Church Gresley and Albert Village for years.

The club, through Gresley Developments Limited, has now submitted updated plans to South Derbyshire District Council.

It wants to build a full size all-weather football pitch with six five-a-side 3G pitches, a two-storey main spectator stand and a smaller stand, a two-storey complex of function rooms, changing rooms, and a two-storey boxing club and gym.

A total of eight 15-metre-high floodlights would be built around the main pitch, with 24 eight-metre high floodlights for surrounding pitches and 35 eight-metre high floodlights for the car parks – which would have space for 301 cars, 15 spots for disabled drivers and two coaches.

A decision will be made by the district council in the next few months.

Gresley Rovers FC reclaimed its original name in 2020, after collapsing entirely in 2009 due to financial difficulties and bouncing back, initially as Gresley FC.

During that period of financial difficulties, it also fell numerous levels down through the tiers of English football.

The club was originally founded in 1882 – pre-dating Derby County by two years – and began playing at Mushroom Lane in Albert Village.

The club now sits in second place in the Uhlsport United Counties League, Premier Division North – in the ninth tier of English football and five levels off the Football League.

It hosted more than 350 fans at its most recent home game versus Newark FC.

Its home since 1907, the Moat Ground, will now be replaced by an affordable housing development once the club moves to its hopeful new home off Bridge Street.

Documents submitted with the planning application say the sale of the Moat Ground site will partly fund the development of the club's new home.

It confirms the purchaser of the existing site is an affordable housing provider and is currently preparing a planning application for homes on Moat Ground.

Documents show that the five-a-side pitches form part of its vision to provide facilities for the community "come rain or shine".

They detail that matches would not need to be cancelled due to waterlogged pitches and the club would not be severely financially hampered by the costs of watering, maintaining and draining traditional grass pitches. Traditional pitches are also less environmentally friendly, the documents say, due to their water consumption and required use of fertiliser.

The reports say the pitches and associated facilities would be offered to clubs to run holiday sessions and exercise and team-building events.

Meanwhile, the clubhouse complex seeks to "connect people from all walks of life".

It says the facilities would "demonstrate how wonderfully people can all work together from all races, ages, gender etc".

The report says the club would "encourage the local community to visit and watch the homegrown local talent at its best, whilst enhancing the potential of future generations to become more active and achieve healthier goals".

Alongside this, the planned boxing club would be home to the South Derbyshire Boxing Academy.

The documents submitted with the club's application says the academy is "an alternative education pathway for 13-to-16-year-olds who have either been excluded or are at risk of school exclusion".

They say: "With this in mind, the programme proactively assists in assuaging social problems that could potentially occur as a result of being excluded from education."

The report says: "Local sport, leisure and physical activity services can help people to live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

"This makes them fundamental to achieving our personal aspirations for the wellbeing of the local community.

"The stature of our boxing and football clubs has a critical local leadership role for sport and physical activity in their places.

"In the current economic climate, and in the face of national challenges such as high levels of obesity and inactivity and an ageing population, it is more important than ever that we have the platform to demonstrate strong evidence of impact within the community."

South Derbyshire District Council has listed the new Bridge Street base for Gresley Rovers FC in its Local Plan – blueprint for future development – with a cost of between £1.5 million and £3 million.

The council says it would ask developers building in the area to pay £680,752 towards the project or for affordable housing. It says developers are also required to pay an extra £319,428 for other recreation facilities.

Approved plans for 300 homes off Church Street in Church Gresley saw a commitment to pay half a million pounds for a new community facility for Gresley Rovers Football Club.

The district council's playing pitch strategy – assessing space for sports facilities across South Derbyshire – in 2018, highlighted the replacement of Moat Ground as a "high" priority.

In the strategy, the district council says it must "support the club with plans for relocation including identification and planning for a suitable site".

It details that the proposed new site off Bridge Street requires planning approval from both the South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire District Councils due to its location on the border between counties.