Plans for new state-of-the-art facilities to replace the ‘dilapidated pavilion’ at Exeter City’s Cliff Hill Training Ground have been unveiled.

The scheme, submitted this week to East Devon District Council, would see the existing pavilion demolished at the facility near Clyst St Mary, and replaced by a new block for the academy, including classrooms and offices, and a two story block for the professional team and academy staff.

The proposal will provide a significant improvement and enhancement to the facilities and would benefit the football club, the academy, the City Community Trust and many community organizations for many years to come, a statement with the application says.

And it adds that rather than the club’s much vaunted academy being at risk of losing its Category 3 status, the new facilities would take them closer to Category 2 status.

A statement with the planning application said: “While across the country, football clubs are developing new grounds and training facilities of superb quality and are able to service the communities of their towns or cities. But through its community ownership model, Exeter City has no benefactor, and can neither make a loss, nor borrow money to do so.

“The plans laid out are urgently required to enable the community club to work towards becoming a hub that can deliver not only improvements for the professional club itself, the Community Trust and youth academy, but also the wider public needs of the area.

“The need to improve the facilities at the Cliff Hill training ground are self-evident and the security of a long 25-year leasehold has finally allowed the club to look strategically at what is required.

“The proposal provides a solution to replace the old and outdated buildings with a complex that meets the needs of the individual users, but designed in a way that enables certain spaces to be shared to limit the overall floor area.”

“The proposal will provide a significant improvement and enhancement to the facilities, thus providing better utilisation and opportunities for the football club, the Academy, the Community Trust, and many community organisations for many years to come.”

East Devon District Council will determine the fate of the application at a later date. ECFC plans for training ground works