NORTHWICH Vics have put their plans for the new stadium in black and white.

Vale Royal Borough will meet on February 13 to discuss planning permission for the ground which the club have mapped out on Wincham Business Park.

Like all Conference clubs by 2003, Vics need an A-graded ground of 2,000 seats, 6,000 capacity, with the potential to increase this to the Football league standard of 10,000.

The 8.67 acres they have an option on in Wincham for the next 12 months will incorporate:

The existing Danebank stand with changing rooms and an administrative block built around it.

Terracing and an all-seater stand.

Provision for 600 parking spaces.

A bar for fans' match-day use.

Conference and room hire facilities.

It will be fairly isolated, flanked by the Trent and Mersey Canal on one side and a handful of factory buildings on the other

As revealed at last Thursday's annual general meeting of shareholders, even though the financial year ending May 2000 showed an increased loss, recent on-field fortunes have boosted the club coffers.

They have paid off their most pressing creditors, using the £75,000 from Sky for their live FA Cup tie with Leyton Orient to settle the Inland Revenue bill.

"The debts are less than half of what they were and the position is much healthier than it was at the lend of May last year," said chairman Rod Stitch.

He and the other directors are standing by their decision to sell the Drill Field, although they will stay there for the 2001-2002 season.

"It was suggested to us at the AGM we were moving just to pay outstanding debts to former directors, but that's not the case," added Stitch.

"As we said at the EGM last year, to develop the Drill Field we'd have to raise £150-200,000 to met the costs and we wouldn't get full grants if we built on an existing site.

"For a new ground you can get the full £400,00 because you're already spending in excess of that."

"The recommendation then was that we moved to a new ground to start again, build an A-graded ground with the sale money, pay off debts and have working capital.

"We can meet basic standards, but could never develop to 10,000 at the Drill Field because of the two ends of the ground which prevent major development.

"The majority of fans have said they want to stay playing at the highest level we possibly can and if we don't meet Conference criteria standards by 2003 we can't do that."