Crystal Palace Football Club have been given the green light to build a new main stand to boost Selhurst Park’s capacity to more than 34,000.

Croydon Council’s planning committee voted unanimously this evening Thursday to approve the updated planning application for Palace’s long-term plans to revamp the main stand along with other improvements to the stadium.

It will now be referred back to the Mayor of London again for final approval.

The club still needs to agree the replacement of social housing on Wooderson Close and reach an agreement with Sainsbury’s supermarket for land that sits on the footprint of the new stand. But once those issues are resolved, Palace  which will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2024, will be able to move ahead with the stadium expansion plans.

Chairman Steve Parish told the committee that the club is at the “contract stage” with Sainsbury’s, and they “hope to break ground by the end of next year”.

The club met with residents of Wooderson Close before Tuesday night’s home match with Wolves and residents were apparently impressed with the promises made to them.

Croydon’s planning committee first accepted plans from Palace four years ago, but the Covid pandemic saw progress stalled, with new submissions required.

Palace’s capacity will increase by more than 8,000 under the new plans, leaving chairman Steve Parish boosted by the decision.

Parish told the Croydon Council planning committee meeting.: “The academy and the football club is something south London should be proud of.

“It’s a symbol of everything we are in south London.

“For too long it’s been run down. I’ve spent the last 12 years trying to improve it.

“We’ve finally got a Grade A facility at the academy and we want to have a Grade A facility at the stadium now too.”

Palace must agree plans to buy six houses in Wooderson Close and relocate the residents affected, while also conclude discussions with Sainsbury’s to purchase a piece of the supermarket chain’s land required for the development.

He added: “I would like to thank Croydon Council for their continued support for the stadium redevelopment, which will bring substantial investment into the borough, as well as breathing new life into Selhurst Park.

“We would have liked to have started the project sooner, but our plans were delayed by financial constraints caused by the Covid pandemic.

“In the last couple of years our focus has been on bringing our exciting academy development to fruition, but our attention will now turn to the stadium project.

“It has long been our ambition to extend and modernise Selhurst Park, making it a home fit for the 21st century.

“We are looking forward to getting started on the project. There is a lot of preparatory work to be done in the coming months and we will update on a likely timetable in due course.”