Stockport County Football Club has launched a public consultation inviting views on proposals to expand and improve the stadium at Edgeley Park.
The club’s plans include expanding the stadium’s seating capacity to 20,000 and offering 30,000 sq ft of flexible workspace in the new East Stand.
The consultation has been launched to canvass views on the plans to develop the new East (Railway) and South (Together) stands, bringing each roughly in line with the height of the existing Cheadle End, and expand the North (Bergara) Stand to run the full length of the pitch.
Stockport County has committed to two phases of public consultation before it seeks to submit planning applications at the end of the year. The first phase includes consultation events for local residents and club supporters to come and view the emerging plans and speak to the project team.
The club intends to submit a planning application setting out the outline vision for the whole expansion as well as more detailed plans for the East Stand. This would be the first of the stands to be redeveloped, provisionally starting in summer 2023.
The major investment into Edgeley Park also presents an opportunity to improve the environmental performance of the stadium and support Stockport and Greater Manchester’s carbon reduction targets.
The club will also be working on a travel plan, with the aim of encouraging fans to travel to matches using sustainable modes of travel and minimising impacts on the local community.
Ken Knott, Stockport County’s non-executive chairman, said: “Edgeley Park has been our home since 1902, and the club has been a key part of the community in Stockport for 120 years.
“With our ambition to play Championship football once again, we have a real opportunity to invest in the stadium and create not just the sporting facilities we need, but also a ripple effect reaching further into Stockport itself, boosting the town and its economy.
“We know that promotion to the Championship will take some time and delivering the emerging plans will also take time; by proposing to deliver new stands in phases, culminating in a final capacity of approximately 20,000 seats, we can reduce the impact on the club and our neighbours, while still playing at home.”
To send feedback, e-mail akanksha.soni@eg.co.uk or tweet @AkankshaEG or @EGPropertyNews
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