RODNEY Parade will next season have a playing surface fit for the Premier League, the Exiles believe.

The planned pitch improvements will begin this month, on April 29, with the contract going to the same firm who look after the playing surfaces at Aston Villa and Birmingham City.

The improvements to the ground will cost in the region of £100,000 with County footing the bill for the contracting work, including levelling the current playing surface and re-seeding the turf, while the Newport Gwent Dragons are paying for a new irrigation system and sprinklers, scheduled for May.

“The firm doing the work also do Aston Villa’s pitch, we are going to hopefully have a Premier League-standard playing surface,” director Howard Greenhaf told the Argus.

The County board have invested a further £100,000 in making improvements to Rodney Parade – including an overhaul of their catering options and the implementation of turnstiles.

The Exiles added new turnstiles to the Hazell Stand this week and are still hopeful that they will be able to announce details of an increased capacity for the play-offs and next season.

Ideally, Newport would like to be able to use the rest of the Hazell Stand.

The Exiles completed their final steps in the permanent move to their new home by moving their old club shop from Spytty Park this week.

They have also brought over some portable toilets from their former base.