UPDATED: Castleford Tigers fans celebrate

Supporters took to Twitter to welcome the news, which will see a 10,000 capacity stadium built as part of the £135m Five Towns Park, which will include a new food store, petrol station, high-quality shops and a country park on land just off the M62 at junction 32. The development - which is bordered by Park Road, the M62, Stainburn Avenue and Spittal Hardwick Lane - will now go before the Secretary of State for approval.

Coun Peter Box, leader of the council, said: “A new stadium for Castleford Tigers is long-awaited and - taken alongside the wider Five Towns Park development and supermarket plans - it means new jobs, new opportunities and new investment for Castleford.

“Developments like these are key to delivering the council’s commitment to jobs and growth and I look forward to seeing the plans approved today become a reality.”

The committee heard that more than 6,000 people signed a petition backing the application by the Lateral Property Group. The scheme will create around 1,950 full time equivalent jobs and is expected to contribute around £7m annually to the economy.

Some residents objected at the meeting on the grounds of traffic congestion but the plans also include new road layouts.

An application to improve the Leeds Road Asda supermarket with a mezzanine floor, bigger sales space, a wider site access, new pedestrian crossing and extra car parking were also passed.

See next week’s Express for full reaction to the news.