Members of Swindon Borough Council’s planning committee have received a recommendation to approve the design of the new Abbey Stadium – on the condition its owners agree to an extension.

The additional time would give Gaming International and council planning officers the chance to agree contributions to public funds to mitigate any impacts of the redevelopment.

The plans would see the current set-up at the venue in North Swindon reversed, with the main stadium and grandstand complex being constructed to the north of the oval track – used for both speedway and greyhound racing – with parking to the south.

The company says a new, modern stadium is important for its business and for the economy of Swindon.

It said: “The stadium fails to offer the contemporary facilities needed to maintain its commercial viability.

“Opportunities for support and investment have been lost to other sites in Swindon and competing stadiums in the region are now starting to draw trade away.”

It says modern customer facilities will be available for use by both visitors to the stadium and people living nearby.

One of the worries for neighbours and the borough and parish councils is the noise of racing – particularly speedway bikes.

A planning committee meeting was delayed from October last year to allow more work between the owners and the council’s environmental health team on trying to cut the noise from the racing.

The owners proposals include screening with trees and other barriers and also a ‘neighbour hotline’, manned during all events, to enable residents to report noise complaints directly to the stadium, as well as regular events such as coffee mornings or evening meetings to inform residents as part of continuing relationship with the stadium.

The report to councillors says those measures are not perfect but probably better than existing arrangements.

It reads: “In acoustic terms the current proposal falls short by a significant margin.

“A new stadium in the same current location with the noise mitigation measures proposed would improve the situation for current residents, who are currently significantly affected as there is currently no acoustic mitigation and no measures by the applicant to monitor or control noise impacts.”

The meeting begins at 6pm in the council chamber.