Spectators of Ivybridge Town’s football matches can look forward to cheering on their team in more comfort.

South Hams Council planning committee was unanimous in its support for the club’s plan to build a covered standing area for 100 people behind one of the goals at their ground at Erme Valley.

There is already a small under-cover seating area on the halfway line, but the new construction will offer some respite from the weather for fans who would rather stand.

The covered area will be 15 metres long and two metres high.

The club now plays in the Western League Premier Division, and FA regulations mean that at that level there must be covered standing for 100 people.

Cllr Guy Pannell (Lib Dem, South Brent) said he had 50 years of experience watching Ivybridge play rugby just up the road, and rain could make it a ‘miserable occasion’.

“I’m very happy to offer some support to my football colleagues,” he said.

And Cllr Simon Rake (Lib Dem, Blackawton and Stoke Fleming) added: “I would like to give my congratulations to Ivybridge Town for making it to the fifth step of the football pyramid, and I hope we have many similar applications to look at in the future as they progress.”

The club was established in 1925 and joined the Plymouth & District League in 1926.They later became members of the Plymouth & District Combination, which was formed by the league's merger with the Plymouth Combination League.

In 1992 Ivybridge were founder members of the Devon County League, joining from the Plymouth & District Combination. They finished bottom of the league in 1994–95 and again in 1997–98. However, a gradual improvement in performances saw them end the 2002–03 season as league runners-up.