Industry News

Grimsby Town stadium plans making ‘good progress’

English League Two football club Grimsby Town’s stadium plans are making progress behind the scenes, despite the radio silence from the club since May, director John Fenty said.

Grimsby’s proposed Community Stadium development features a 14,000-seat ground, a new ice rink, additional sports and leisure facilities, as well as retail, and food and beverage offerings.

The project is set to cost more than £250m (€279m/$332m), with the club and its development partners stating that around 600 full-time jobs will be created as a result.

Extreme Leisure, the brand-led sports and leisure property developer, teamed up with the club for the development of a New Community Stadium and Leisure Development back in 2016.

Chairman of Extreme, Alistair Gosling, said that there are a number of meetings planned with North East Lincolnshire Council over the next two weeks. He added that these discussions will help to substantially progress the key elements of the project.

The talks with the council are also focusing on the objective of delivering a substantial number of affordable homes.

Gosling added: “Inspired by our passion for sport and the surrounding lifestyle, Extreme’s objective is to breathe life into neglected, or under-utilised sites, deliver valuable inward investment, job creation and visitor experiences that significantly enhance the community in which they are located, and we look forward to achieving that in Grimsby”.

Fenty said: “We understand that the fans are frustrated that all has been quiet since May. This is a complex project with the potential to bring in a £250m inward investment to the town.

“Should that come to fruition, it will lead to the club having a new home, with fit for purpose facilities for our great fans.

“There is no ‘silver bullet’, no easy means of delivering relocation and a traditional means of relocation via a large retail anchor tenant is not possible locally. So a more complex solution is being worked on.

“It is this complexity which is taking time, but we are delighted that the project is making good progress”.

Grimsby has played at Blundell Park, which has a capacity of 9,000, since 1899.