Arsenal’s major expansion push for its training grounds in London Colney has been given the go ahead, despite being in the Green Belt land.

Hertsmere Borough Council unanimously passed the application at a planning meeting at the council’s offices in Borehamwood last week.

The Gunners, who train at the 57-hectare site in Bell Lane, applied to demolish an equipment store and build a two-storey extension.

The approval is subject to a signed Section 106 legal planning agreement, which compels developers to contribute financially to housing schemes.

Within the Gunners’ training ground are 10 full-sized pitches, which are located in open fields bounded by hedgerows.

They will now demolish the existing pitch maintenance equipment store and part of the covered training pitch and build a two-storey extension to the latter pitch to provide player performance facilities, laundry room, kit stores, youth changing, medical and consultation facilities, and staff offices.

The demolished equipment store will be replaced.

Hetsmere Borough Conservative Councillor Rosemary Gilligan said at the meeting: "I would like to commend the club with the work they have done with us, they have provided a double club which focuses on education and football.

"And the Arsenal Ladies also, who have supported some of the special needs school in Bushey."

The current buildings at the centre "fail to provide sufficient facilities for strength and conditioning and analytical research which are essential for teams competing at the top level of European football," according to a planning report.

The club will remove 140 trees to allow for the relocated equipment store, but 280 replacement trees are proposed to mitigate this loss.