The decision means that Dings, working in partnership with Redrow Homes, can now afford to fund a new £8 million ground on 26 acres of land opposite Frenchay Hospital.

Shaftesbury Park, as the new community sports facility will be known, will include a clubhouse with gym, two full size rugby pitches – one of which will be an artificial surface – junior rugby pitches and meadowlands.

Plans drawn up by Bristol-based architects Ferguson Mann also feature a two-court sports hall, weight training room, eight changing rooms and club shop, along with parking for almost 220 cars.

Ray Bowden is a director of the Lockleaze Recreation Ground charity which owns the Landseer Avenue site as well as president of Dings who, along with Dings Community Sports Club, are tenants at an aging facility which has long outlived its original purpose.

He said: "It has been 12 years in the making but now we have a replacement site with planning permission for new sports facilities, permission to redevelop our existing ground and can focus on concluding the agreement with Redrow whilst starting the design detail on our new facilities.

"We hope to get on-site at Frenchay in early 2016 to start the preparatory works but still have a lot of technical issues to address. It has been a fantastic team effort from all those involved both within the club and our project team and a brilliant way to finish 2015.

"In addition to finalising all the design, technical and legal issues that are required before we can actually start building, we will be introducing ourselves to our new neighbours and launching a campaign to attract new players and members at all levels with a special focus on the local schools.

"This is a fantastic moment in the charity's and club's histories."

The Bristol office of Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, Planning Consultants advised Dings Crusaders RFC, Lockleaze Recreation Ground Charity and Redrow on development of the existing Lockleaze site and relocation to the Frenchay site which is located within Green Belt.

NLP's head of Bristol office, Andy Cockett, said: "This is a win-win situation for everybody with the Frenchay site located on underused agricultural land and delivering much needed local community sports and meeting facilities in close proximity to a thriving and expanding community.

"Housing at Lockleaze assists the local authority with its market and affordable housing delivery and is a further extension to the successful Wallscourt Farm Development".

Roger Goodliff, director of Ferguson Mann, said: "As the site was in green belt, it is essential to ensure that the new facilities sit comfortably in the setting.

"The clubhouse, pitches and lighting designs and layout were critical to the success of gaining planning permission in this location."