English Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth has confirmed it will begin drawing up plans for a new stadium on the Kings Park site.
Bournemouth has been looking at potential sites, with one area identified that includes the park’s athletics stadium, and the club’s existing training pitches.
The club has full support from the Bournemouth city council and has been working closely with them to find an ideal site for the new stadium.
Bournemouth chief executive, Neill Blake, said: “This is a major investment programme, not only for the football club but also for the town and the region.
“Our preferred site to build the club’s new stadium is in Kings Park. There is still a long way to go in this process but we have overcome one of the biggest obstacles in identifying the area that we want to develop. We will now progress with detailed research and design for the new stadium, ahead of submitting the necessary planning application.
“Our original timescale of completion by the summer of 2020 remains, and we are currently working hard to provide our supporters with a bigger stadium and one that is befitting of a Premier League club.”
Leader of the council, John Beesley, said: “We are extremely proud of the achievements of AFC Bournemouth and we recognise the importance of the club to both residents and fans.
“We will continue to work with the club and do all that is appropriate to help them progress with their ambition to build a new stadium in Kings Park. This will involve discussions with all interested parties to ensure the needs of the club are met, alongside those of users of the park and the local community.”
The planning application, which will be submitted next year, will involve traffic impact modelling, as well as public consultation as part of the proposal process.
Bournemouth currently plays at the 11,400-capacity Vitality Stadium, the smallest ground in the Premier League.
Image: Matthew Jackson
Share this