Edgeley Park first-rate expansion plans

Article posted by Coliseum, March 19^th, 2024

Image: Stockport County

The EFL League Two team Stockport County Football Club launched on March 13^th its next phase of consultation on plans for a phased expansion of its historic Edgeley Park stadium in Stockport, England (UK), which would increase capacity from 10,852 up to c.18, 000.

‘STOCKPORT COUNTY FC’ stated that the plans for the expansion and enhancement of the Edgeley Park were initially announced back in 2022 when the club introduced its vision and invited feedback from the local community and the fans. The feedback received during the consultation was instrumental in shaping the core objectives for the expansion:

Create a true ‘community stadium’ with access to a wide range of spaces for the local community;
Create a better matchday experience for all, including more covered seating with a great view of the pitch;
Provide a greater range of high-quality food and drink options;
Improve the stadium’s accessibility for those with disabilities and additional needs;
Offer quick and easy routes into and away from the Edgeley Park, for the benefit of fans, visitors and the local residents; and
Make the Edgeley Park more environmentally-friendly and sustainable.

The Stockport County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England (UK). The team compete in English Football League (EFL) League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system.

The 10,852-capacity Edgeley Park is a football stadium in Edgeley, Stockport, England (UK). Built for the Stockport RFC, a rugby league club, in 1891, by 1903 the rugby club was defunct and the Stockport County Football Club moved in. The ground is set to be increased to a capacity of around 18,000 with the start of the project in 2025.

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Preston (UK)-based the English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales (UK). Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from its foundation until 1992, when the top 22 clubs split from it to form the Premier League, the highest level of the English football league system. The Football League was rebranded as the ‘English Football League’ (EFL) from the 2016-2017 seasons.

‘STOCKPORT COUNTY FC’ further stated that the latest proposals – unveiled on March 13^th – are based on a phased approach to investing in improvements to the Edgeley Park, in order to ensure sustainable growth.

The initial phase would include the Eastern expansion and enhancement of the historic North Stand (Danny Bergara Stand) and East Stand (Railway End). The expanded North Stand would provide around 600 additional seats, increasing the capacity of this stand to around 2,680, while the new East Stand would see its capacity increase from 1,366 up to around 4,500. As part of the plans, the North Stand’s historic brick frontage along the Hardcastle Road would be retained and repaired.

Subject to securing planning permission, the club is looking to begin work on the North Stand Eastern extension in early 2025.

As part of the club’s longer-term plans, it is envisaged that the South Stand (Together Stand) would be redeveloped to increase its capacity to around 5,500, as well as delivering new food and beverage (F&B) and hospitality facilities. The final element would be a Western extension to the North Stand, providing another 600 seats.

The Stockport County intends to submit a hybrid planning application for the expansion in the next few months, following on from its consultation process.

The major investment into the 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 is also developing a Travel Plan, with the aim of encouraging fans to travel to matches using sustainable modes of travel and minimizing impacts on the local community.

Commented Ken Knott, Non-Executive Chairman at Stockport County, “We are delighted to be bringing forward plans for the expansion and enhancement of the Edgeley Park to create a true community stadium. We know just how much the ground means to the fans and the local community, it has been at the beating heart of Stockport for over 120 years. Ultimately, we want to ensure that the stadium matches our level of ambition so that it can continue to provide a first-rate home for the club and the local community for many years to come. Following our first round of consultation in 2022, we took our time to review and reflect upon the feedback we received, and we have developed our plans accordingly. We want to ensure our plans for the Edgeley Park provide our fans with the best possible matchday experience, whilst also remaining sensitive to our neighbors and providing the people of Stockport with a range of high-quality new community spaces.”

Added Knott, “This is a very exciting time for the club as we continue to go from strength to strength, both on and off the field. We have outlined our ambition to reach the Championship (second-highest in the English football league system), and we have already taken great strides towards reaching this goal over the past two seasons. Ultimately, we believe that the expansion and enhancement of the Edgeley Park is crucial in order to support the continued growth of the club and provide a platform for further success.”

To view more information on the plans, please click here.

To get involved and have your say by completing our feedback form, click here.

The second round of consultation on the plans for the Edgeley Park is now underway and will remain open until April 3^rd, 2024. As part of the consultation, several public drop-in sessions are taking place at the stadium on the following dates:

March 19^th, 2024, 3 pm-7pm;
March 23^rd, 2024, 2:30 pm-5 pm (matchday event); and
March 25^th, 2024, 11 am-3 pm.

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