BRAINTREE Town Football Club have unveiled ambitious plans for a new 6,000-capacity stadium to the west of the town.

The proposed development would give the club a multi-million-pound stadium off the A120 bypass, and include a sports complex with two other football pitches and tennis courts.

Under the proposals, one of the three football pitches and the tennis courts would be available for community use.

Lee Harding, the club's chairman, said the project, which is at an early stage and yet to go before Braintree Council's planning committee, would be "a pivotal point in the club's history".

The club, which plays in the Blue Square South division, is currently based in Cressing Road.

If the plans go through, the team could be playing at their new home, which would be in Pods Brook Road, by 2012.

To deliver the project, Braintree Town have teamed up with Hertfordshire-based WG Developments - whose past projects include arranging the construction and development of new stadia for Maldon Town FC in 1994 and Bishop's Stortford FC in 1999.

Wayne Gold, WG Developments managing director, said: "We are offering the people of Braintree a new football stadium and other sports facilities outside the town centre - but still within Braintree."

WG Developments would sponsor the club, as the Iron bid for promotion to the Conference and Football League, and the company also plans to build about 500 homes near the stadium to help finance the project.

Mr Harding said the development would help secure the long-term future of the club for the next 50 years - and he called for backing from the council and the public to help make the dream a reality.

He said: "Cressing Road has been a very good home to us since 1923, but the new stadium is something that we need to provide in order to progress.

"The next major hurdle is getting outline planning permission. If we get that, it's all systems go.

"We are trying to stand on our own two feet - we don't want local authority money, we just want their help."

Gordon Humphris, supporters club chairman, said it was "very exciting times" for the football club, and that the development would give the town a "shot in the arm".

He said: "The fans are very excited about it and have been for quite a while. The fans have known there were changes afoot for quite a while and, even though we revel in the history of the club and Cressing Road, it is time to move on."

Graham Butland, leader of Braintree Council, said it was keen to support the provision of new sports facilities for the town.

He said: "Clearly these are initial proposals and they do fall outside of the existing development area, which is an issue we will have to take through, but certainly in terms of providing a new ground for the football club and also community facilities, it's something for which we will want to engage in discussions with the club."

James Abbott, Green district councillor for Bradwell, Silver End and Rivenhall, said it was difficult for him to comment because it was at an early stage and he sat on the planning committee.

"I'm constrained to what I can say, but my biggest concern would be the sustainability of this and, if you move the football club out of the town, there are implications for traffic," he said.

"The challenge is, if they want to make this green with a capital G, it is a high hurdle and a very tough task, but it's not impossible."