Salford stadium plans approved

A 20,000-capacity stadium for the Salford Reds rugby league team has been giving the planning green light by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

The plans for the £130m project, which include the construction of a four-star hotel, shopping mall and casino were submitted to a public enquiry.

The £35m stadium will be the centrepiece of the 80-acre site near the M60, and secures the club's future in Salford. Club chair, John Wilkinson said: "I am absolutely ecstatic. It is a major project that means so much to the city of Salford and to this great club."

As MP for Bolton, Ruth Kelly, the secretary of state for communities and local government, was not permitted to make the decision, but is said to have given her support for the scheme.