Oliver Ash has announced plans for a new 2,000-capacity terrace at the Gallagher Stadium.

It will cost about £600,000 and take overall capacity past 4,000 – a requirement for National League status.

Maidstone have until the end of March to complete the work if they win the National South play-off final at Ebbsfleet on Saturday and earn promotion.

But United will delay construction until the end of the 2016-17 season if they miss out against Fleet.

Co-owner Mr Ash said: “We’re getting to the stage where we hope we’ll be able to go in for planning permission over the next two or three weeks for a new terrace at the north end which will accommodate about 2,000.

“Very roughly, we’re looking at a cost of £600,000 and it will probably take six to seven months to construct.

“When you take out the space we’ll lose in the existing area, we’ll have a net increase of between 1,000 and 1,500.

“If we go up we have to get the capacity up by the end of March next year, so it’s quite urgent to go as fast as we can.

“If we don’t go up, we’ll probably look to start at a time which is better for the club, which is the close season of next season."

Read the full story as part of our play-off special in Friday's Kent Messenger