Famous London cricket ground The Oval will undergo a US$57 million redevelopment after a public enquiry awarded planning permission.

A new stand at the stadium will increase its capacity to 25,000, while a 168-bedroom hotel will also be built as part of the work.

Surrey County Cricket Club, the stadium's owners, were awarded planning permission by the local council as long ago as January 2007, but the Health and Safety Executive asked for the plans to be reconsidered by the government because of concerns that the development was too close to the famous Kennington Gasholder station.

"This decision has been a long time coming, and we are very pleased with the outcome," said Paul Sheldon, Surrey's chief executive. "The development is an important one both for cricket and our community. The continued improvement of facilities at The Oval means that international cricket is guaranteed a place here for many years to come."

The Oval, which currently has a capacity of 23,500, has been hosting cricket for more than 140 years, and was home to the first ever Test match in England in 1880 between England and Australia.

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