Saracens given green light for £23mn West Stand facelift

Article posted by Coliseum, November 7^th, 2018

Image: Saracens Rugby Club

London-based English professional rugby union team Saracens have been granted planning permission and secured funding to redevelop the West Stand at Allianz Park, with work set to begin this summer at the end of the current season, according to several media reports.

The £23 million redevelopment project will see the West Stand replaced with a fully accessible, weatherproof facility for 3,000 spectators, matching the club’s East Stand in size and increasing the ground’s capacity to 10,500, The Telegraph reported. The club at times in the past have increased the capacity of the ground to 15,000 with temporary seating.

Completion of the project is expected in 2020, with Saracens continuing to play at Allianz Park during the construction.

The redevelopment will also include a centre of excellence for Middlesex University’s London Sport Institute and Health Faculty; a dedicated education centre operated by Saracens Sport Foundation; improved training, medical and competition facilities for athletics, rugby and community sport; a community garden designed by local school children; and a brand new media facility, according to a press release.

“We have been working closely with Barnet Council and our community partners developing plans for the West Stand that we can all be proud of. I am delighted we have made positive strides forward,” Saracens chief executive officer, Mitesh Velani, said in a press statement.

“The West Stand redevelopment project demonstrates our continued commitment to providing the best environment for our teams to thrive, a modern home where our fans create memories together and extending community initiatives that improve the lives of people in North London,” he added.

Saracens moved to Allianz Park, formerly the Barnet Copthall stadium, from Vicarage Road in 2013 where they previously groundshared with Watford FC.

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