The Welsh Assembly Government has granted permission for 450 homes to be built on the Stradey Park site which effectively gives the Scarlets the green light to sell the land and develop a new 13,500 capacity stadium in the Pemberton area of the West Wales town.

Roger Lewis said: "This will help ensure a bright future for a region which forms a vital cornerstone of the sport not just in Wales, but across the globe.

"I applaud the people of vision at the Llanelli Scarlets who have lived with this dream and will now be able to see it through to reality.

"I have personal knowledge of what hard work Chief Executive Stuart Gallacher, Chairman Huw Evans and benefactor Tim Griffiths have already put in, leading an excellent team on this project.

"They have never wavered in their determination to ensure the success of the plan to provide a new state-of-the-art home for top flight rugby in the Llanelli Scarlets region.

"We need the level of facilities and finances that this new stadium will bring to Wales to ensure we attract the best players along with the finest administrators and most loyal supporters.

"Here in Wales we boast regions with a burning ambition for success, which bodes well for the future of the sport.

"If we continue to have successful, ambitious and well run regions, the national team will benefit. That's what we are all working towards sustaining and developing going forward."