Manchester United’s plans to build a new stadium next to Old Trafford are facing delays due to a standoff over a piece of land needed to begin work on the project.
The Guardian said there is a dispute over the price of the freight terminal land which is essential for construction of the ‘Wembley of the North’ to get underway.
Manchester United believe that the stadium and the wider regeneration project have the potential to deliver an additional £7.3 billion per year to the UK economy.
It would also bring large-scale social and economic benefits to the community and the wider region, including the possible creation of 92,000 new jobs, more than 17,000 new homes as well as driving an additional 1.8 million visitors annually.
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylized as Man Utd), is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England (UK). They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England (UK) and is the home of the Manchester United F.C. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium in the United Kingdom and the 12th-largest in Europe.
The club want land used as a rail freight terminal to complete the Old Trafford Regeneration Project and build the new stadium.
United have held talks with Freightliner, the haulage company that owns and operates the terminal, about buying the land, but negotiations are deadlocked due to a disagreement over the price.
The Guardian further stated that while Freightliner is understood to have expressed a willingness to relocate from Trafford Park to nearby St Helens, the company is seeking around £400 million for the land, with United valuing it at between £40-50 million.
Club part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made it clear United are unwilling to accept the asking price set by Freightliner’s parent company, Brookfield, and initial discussions are believed to have ground to a halt.
When unveiling designs for the Old Trafford master plan, produced by Foster + Partners, in March, Ratcliffe set an ambitious target of completing what he described as a five-year build by 2030.
United had been hoping to begin preparatory building work by the end of this year but failing to secure the Freightliner site will delay the start date.
United’s options at this stage would be to increase their offer, wait for Freightliner to lower its demands, or scale back the project so that the freight terminal land is not required.
At a Fans Forum event in June, United conceded that securing the land required could prove an obstacle to beginning work this year.
United were asked by supporters whether building would commence in 2025 or 2026 and responded: “Planning work is continuing, including the consultations with fans discussed during today’s meeting.
“Discussions are also ongoing with local authorities, landowners and potential funding partners with a view to securing the land and the finance we need to proceed with the project. It remains our ambition to proceed with the project as quickly as possible, but we can only do this once the necessary land and funding is in place.”
United are not seeking any public money to build the stadium itself. The club declined to comment on a private commercial negotiation.
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