A REPLACEMENT stage had approval in a field associated with those who served in the Great War.

The retrospective application was put forward at Comrades Field in Church Lane, Neston, by Dr Peter Rossiter.

Planning officers at Cheshire West and Chester Council were told by Dr Rossiter the green painted concrete stage replaced a wooden stage of the same dimensions.

The raised platform on the field, adjacent to the vicarage and St Mary’s and St Helen’s Church and set within the Neston Conservation Area, enables the public to see those taking part in events on the field. These include the village fair, which 2,000 people attend.

The platform will be used by the mayor, performers and for the crowning of the Rose Queen, according to a statement.

No objections were raised by Neston Town Council or by conservation specialists.

The stage would be used for the village fair, which took place once a year and events could take place on the field for up to 28 days in any year without permission.

Recommending the application be approved, planning officers believed the platform would have no detrimental effect on the amenities of neighbours.