Kent County Cricket Club (KCCC) captain Robert Key has cut the first turf to mark the start of work on a multi-million pound revamp of the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury.

A two-storey dressing room block and a club shop and office complex are to be created as part of the development, which will also include a renovation of the members' facilities and new floodlights. The £9m stadium scheme was boosted by Canterbury City Council in December 2009, when it approved a £4m loan to help KCCC fund the development on the grounds it met a series of council objectives.

Key said: "Cricket is changing and we have to make sure we are right at the forefront, so this scheme will really help us move forward over the next few month." KCCC chief executive Jamie Clifford added: "There is now the opportunity to really invest in our infrastructure and make sure the asset we have here is really as good as it can be."