Stockport County Football Club (SCFC) has submitted plans to expand Edgeley Park stadium, which could see spades in the ground in early 2025.
The EFL League Two Champions are seeking approval for the phased expansion of the ground, which would increase spectator capacity from 10,852 to 18,305 when complete.
It said the hybrid application, prepared by Manchester-based town planning consultants Asteer, followed two rounds of public consultation and is to meet league requirements as its targets its return to Championship football.
Timeline for delivery
The first phase includes the eastern expansion and enhancement of the North Stand (Danny Bergara stand) and East Stand (Railway End).
The North Stand would receive around 600 additional seats, increasing capacity to around 3,312, while the East Stand would see its capacity rise from 1,366 to around 4,449.
Long term, the South Stand (Together Stand) would be redeveloped to increase capacity to around 5,500, as well as delivering food and beverage and hospitality facilities.
The final phase would be a western extension to the North Stand, providing another 600 seats.
The plans also include the long-term use of Bergara Close for coach parking.
Subject to planning permission, works on the North Stand eastern extension could begin early next year and “would not affect fans currently seated in the North stand”.
Once complete, the redevelopment is predicted to boost attendance by 150,000 a year, with £2 million gross value add per annum for local businesses.
SCFC non-executive chairman, Ken Knott, said: “This is a very exciting time for the club as we continue to go from strength to strength, both on and off the field, ending the year as EFL League Two Champions and achieving promotion into EFL League one.
“We have outlined our ambition to reach the Championship and have already taken great strides towards reaching this goal, but ultimately, we believe that the expansion and enhancement of Edgeley Park is crucial to support the continued growth of the club and providing a platform for future success.”
Was this interesting? Try Ainscough returns to profit in strong set of results
If you have a tip or story idea that fits with our publication, please contact the news editor rory@wavenews.co.uk
Get industry news in 5 minutes!
A daily email that makes industry news enjoyable. It’s completely free.