AN APPLICATION has been made to permit an increased capacity at Saints' stadium for the Jacqui Abbott and Paul Heaton gig this summer.

The Totally Wicked Stadium is set to host its first music concert on Friday, July 22 this year as the former Beautiful South pair perform at the venue.

Special guests, The Proclaimers and Wigan indie band The Lathums, will also hit the stage.

The show is a special hometown appearance for Jacqui who was born and bred in St Helens before joining The Beautiful South in 1994.

Saints' stadium, which opened 10 years ago, has a capacity of 17,980.

An application has been sent to the council by Saints to permit 25,000 people to be admitted for the concert, with crowds to also be situated on the pitch.

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The proposals state: "This application relates specifically to a proposed music event to be staged at St Helens Rugby League Club, The Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens, on Friday, July 22, 2022.

"The artists scheduled to perform are Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, The Proclaimers and The Lathums. The club are working with SJM promotions on what will be the first music event to be staged at the stadium.

"Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott have already performed at Hull Kingston Rovers Rugby League ground with great success drawing a crowd in excess of 23 thousand".

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott

The application adds: "It has always been the club's intention to maximise the use of the stadium for events beyond rugby league and it regularly hosts corporate events and functions within its numerous suites. The event on Friday 22nd July 2022 will be the first open-air concert held at the stadium and it is hoped that there will be many more moving forward.

"It is now formally requested that planning permission be granted for a further variation to the above planning permissions to increase the stadium capacity for open-air concerts and other like events to 25,000 by making full use of the playing surface".

The application is on standard consultation to the public until Monday, February 14 with a determination deadline set for April 20.

A similar application had been made ahead of the scheduled Little Mix concert at the stadium in June 2020, but this event was later cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.