Councillors have given the go ahead for a £26 million community stadium at Barton.

Salford City Council has formed a joint venture company with Peel to develop and deliver the stadium, the largest single investment in sport in the city for decades.

It will be a centre for a range of community activities and also home to Salford City Reds, who will play there with a licence to use it.

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It is to be built in time for the start of the 2012 rugby Super League season and work to prepare the land for development has already started on site.

There will be two community outdoor sports pitches and a new access route to the stadium via Liverpool Road.

An outline application for around 21,000 square metres of non-food retail, which will help to fund the development, was also approved in principle as part of the proposals.

The Secretary of State will now be asked to formally approve the plans. The Secretary of State has previously approved the principle of a 20,000 capacity stadium and retail on this site.

Construction of the new stadium is expected to start in November.

(CD)