Atherstone United’s hopes of renovating their football stadium have received a boost from new initiatives with the local authority.

The council rejected the football club’s plans a month ago, but now the scheme appears to be back on track.

The two sides met for a ‘full and frank’ discussion on the football club’s plans for the Sheepy Road Stadium, which it wants to upgrade to Conference League standard.

The hope is that United, currently in seventh place in the Dr Marten’s Premier League, will win promotion to the Conference in the near future and their stadium would be ready for the higher grade of football.

But North Warwickshire Borough Council rejected their original plans and all appeared lost until new talks opened this week.

Neither side would give any hint about what was discussed at the meeting except to say that four options had been identified.

One option could be that the council is prepared to offer the football club a less cramped site for a new stadium to be built.

A statement from the football club said:

"Both parties were united in their desire to reach a satisfactory conclusion to the problem and to move forward in a manner acceptable to the football club, council and local residents."

The statement added:

"A preferred course of action was agreed upon and it was felt, in the best interests of all concerned, that further comment on the matter should be left until there is something positive to report."