TWO of the borough’s football clubs are celebrating the news that 501 homes will be built in Aveley.

The future of Grays Athletic and Aveley FC is intertwined in the application with Grays potentially the beneficiaries of land near Treetops School.

The school will receive an £800,000 sports hall and facilities as part of the agreement.

Westview Properties, who have submitted the huge homes plan, is run by former Grays Athletic chairman Mick Woodward who will be delighted to have helped his former club move a step closer to playing in the town.

Aveley also revealed details of their new community football stadium in August and there were concerns the club would not be able to use the site after the planning committee approved the development of nine football pitches on land at Belhus Park Lane.

However, Aveley club secretary Craig Johnson hopes a new agreement will soon be in place to allow them to create their new home on the Belhus Park Lane land, too.

He said: “We have been in constant communication with the council and Mr Woodward and the announcement was quite favourable. We know pitches are to be built there and just need our application to be heard now.”

Planning Officer Matthew Gallagher said he had had meetings with Aveley FC, Sport England and the Essex FA but confirmed any application at the same site would have to be dealt with at a later date.

Mr Johnson said he thought the application to build a new ground may be brought before the planning committee in January.

Aveley are currently landlords to Grays as Blues have not been able to find a home in the town since their old ground was sold for housing in 2009.