SARACENS’ plans to regenerate an athletics stadium in Mill Hill will be formally submitted to Barnet Council tomorrow.

The Premiership rugby club want to invest £10m to turn the Barnet Copthall Stadium in Mill Hill into a 10,000 capacity home ground with demountable stands and the UK’s first artificial rugby pitch.

Under the proposal it will be shared with Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Athletics club, who will have four lanes open to them during September to May and the full use of the track the rest of the time.

There will also be an indoor training area built in a new permanent stand on the site.

The ground would also be open for use by local schools and clubs for all but a maximum of 16 days a year the Saracens team plays a home game.

Chairman and Mill Hill resident Nigel Wray said: “Our proposal is, we hope, really great news for everyone in north London because the artificial turf pitch will create something absolutely unique in England – a well-known top class stadium available for use by local schools and clubs 350 days per year.

“The award-winning Saracens Foundation will be based at the stadium, working in the Barnet community, creating ‘Teams not Gangs,’ improving the quality of life and creating opportunities for young people.”

However, the plans will face opposition from some residents around the ground, which is set in green belt land, who fear it will create a parking “nightmare” and play havoc with local activities.

At a public meeting residents raised concerns over the viability of some local sports clubs and kids activities in schools, where the club plan to provide extra parking spaces on match days.

But the plans were welcomed by Councillor Lynne Hillan, Barnet Council leader, who said: “In general Mill Hill residents don’t seem to be that opposed to it.

“They have issues to address and obviously we want to see how they address traffic and parking problems, which are important to residents and to us.

“It’s important to get somebody on that site, we don’t want to sit here and watch Copthall crumble. We haven’t got the money to do the necessary refurbishment and if somebody has come up with a plan that’s acceptable, that’s fine.”

Once the plans are formally processed they will be open for public consultation before they go before a planning committee.

Last week first team players including England prop Matt Stevens and fly half Alex Goode, went out in Mill Hill, visiting businesses and residents to discuss the plans and drum up support.

Afterwards first team coach and ex-England centre Andy Farrell told the Times Series: “People were really receptive to what we were saying, and it will bring a whole new community spirit to Saracens and to the borough as a whole.

“I’ve just met 15 adults in Pizza Express who are part of a local children’s centre and for people like them it will be great, it will be somewhere to take the kids.

“As a new facility and with the artificial surface which will be there kids can start playing early in the morning, right up until the first team match.

“I remember as a youngster playing on the main pitch before the first team game was always like a grand final for me and I want others to experience the same things here.”