BURY chairman Stewart Day has set a timescale of three years for the building of a new stadium, it has been revealed.

Mr Day is keen to uproot the club from Gigg Lane, Bury’s home of 132 years, in a bid to increase the revenue away from a match day.

Along with a new ground the owner is looking to bring more investment into the town through a hotel and retail outlets.

Although the ideal location has not yet been revealed or secured, Day is pushing the project on and has appointed an agent to conduct due diligence on any potential investors.

“We are still working on the new stadium and there are talks between ourselves and the council,” Mr Day told the Bury Times.

“We are aiming to have it ready for the beginning of the 2019/20 season. It’s a major project which we want to be operational for 365 days a year.

“The land is not secured but we have commissioned an agent who is doing due diligence on things like hotel, offices and a variety of things.

“We really want to bring tourism to the town. The stadium will be in the borough of Bury, it would not be Bury Football Club if we moved it out of the area, whether that is in the centre or on the outskirts.

“We want to build an infrastructure that will be in place for hundreds of years.”

However, questions hang over the funding for the new ground after Bury faced off three winding up petitions for unpaid tax bills last year.

But the chairman says there are a number of options he is exploring so the club does not have to foot the bill.

“There are a variety of options,” Mr Day said. “It depends on which type of operators and what types of leases.

“If, for example, a casino wanted to sign a 25-year lease on the site then that would free up a certain amount of funds, but there are many other options we are exploring.”

However, in the short term Mr Day is preparing to submit a planning application next week to build on land at the front of Gigg Lane.

The property developer wants to erect apartments and retail shops where the club shop currently stands.

A smaller version of the club shop will be incorporated into the plans.

“First we must develop the front of Gigg Lane,” Mr Day added. “Next week we will submit a planning application to build apartments and retail shops in the area where the club shop currently stands.

“The club shop is too big and does not currently serve its purpose.

“The new developments will belong to the club, not myself, and will increase the value of our assets, which will become part of the deal when we sell the ground to move.

“It will become a property deal so the funding will come from potential investors.”