Bristol City Council has approved the series of amendments to the Memorial Stadium redevelopment scheme.

The decision was made to the delight of a handful of Gasheads who joined directors and club officials to support the plans.

The amendments to the initial planning application, which was approved in January last year, were passed by seven votes to one (with one abstention) after an emotionally charged planning committee meeting that lasted two hours.

Eight people spoke on behalf of the application including former Rovers star Carl Saunders, now a community liaison officer, and deputy chair of Sport England, Ged Roddy.

After the original planning application was approved, the club worked hard behind the scenes to improve and develop the design, to come up with the new scheme.

The club believe that the new Memorial Stadium will benefit supporters and local residents and provide a modern, green and sustainable home for Bristol Rovers and Bristol Rugby Club.

"The club is very very pleased with this results, as it is what we had all hoped for," chairman Ron Craig told bristolrovers.co.uk, "It now means that we can tie up all of the outstanding issues, particularly that of finding and finalising a home for next season.

"We will also be able to push forward with the development programme, and look at the leases and licences with our future tenants and partners.

"We have great sympathy and understanding of the residents' concerns and we hope that over the next few months we will be able to cooperate fully with the people living around the stadium.

"This is an ambitious scheme that we all want to see happen, and now it can happen. But there is still much hard work to do."

The majority of changes relate to the internal arrangements, and the plans for the 18,000 all-seater development remain essentially the same.

The new plans make a number of minor changes to the scheme, including the reduction of student flats from 105 to 99, the reduction of hotel bedrooms from 112 to 97 and the removal of the basement and stand alone conference facilities.

The full list of changes to the original application includes:

1) No change in building height except 1.86 m increase on North Elevation to the two 'towers', 1.0m increase on NE and NW corners, and 1.26m increase in hotel height (1.0m increase at NE corner plus coping stones). This has no impact on application of daylighting guidelines. The span of roof trusses is higher.

2) Decrease in accommodation (other than 127 sq m increase in commercial offices):

· 99 student flats (decrease from 105) - number of rooms unchanged;
· 97 hotel bedrooms (decrease from 112) comprising 84 permanent rooms (unchanged) and 13 hospitality boxes with a dual use as hotel bedrooms (a decrease from 28);
· 20 hospitality boxes in total - including 13 with dual use as hotel bedrooms - (a decrease from 28);
· 370 sq m A1 convenience store (decrease from 375 sq m);
· 1,056 sq m A3 restaurant (decrease from 1,110 sq m);
· Stand alone conference facilities removed; conference facility incorporated into restaurant area as dual use;
· 1,548 sq m offices (Use Class B1a) [397 sq m decrease from ancillary and commercial offices].

3) Basement removed. Internal accommodation reconfigured.

4) Accommodation in SE and SW corners is set back by 4.5m from approved elevation, improving relationship with Downend Road. South Stand is stepped back by 1.5m.

5) Accommodation in NW corner, northern elevation and NE corner adjusted, resulting in a slightly different shape to retail unit, building façade and configuration of the hotel. The retail unit extends a further 3m-6m northwards. The reconfigured hotel is reduced by 5m on N-S axis, reducing impact on Trubshaw Gardens.

6) No loss of car or coach parking spaces, but parking layout amended with no impact on vehicle tracking.

7) Pitch size adjusted from 100 x 64m to 100 x 66m.

8) Restaurant (1st floor) has pitch side views, owing to reduction in hospitality boxes.

9) Windows on west and east elevations at Level 6, as required by Fire Regulations.

The club will make an announcement soon on what will happen next over the coming weeks.