National League football club Wrexham AFC has received permission from Wrexham County Borough Council to demolish the Kop end at its Racecourse Ground ahead of the planned construction of a new 5,500-capacity stand.
Clearance of the site can now be undertaken, with the required works to be put out to tender in the coming weeks.
The crush barriers have already been removed with the consent of both Wrexham Glyndwr University and the club by the Wrexham Supporters Trust, who have raised £20,205 (€24,800/$23,500) to date from the sale of these, with further barriers still available.
Wrexham said the news marks a “significant step” towards bringing its new Kop development to fruition. The club submitted a planning application to demolish the Kop and clear the site at the start of the month.
Wrexham later released the first images of its proposed new 5,500-capacity stand (pictured), which will revert the Racecourse Ground back to a four-sided stadium. Wrexham also released a computer-generated fly-through of the designs for the new stand, which has been a priority for co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds since they became owners of the club in February 2021.
Of the 5,500 capacity, 5,000 will be allocated for general admission fans, with rail seating to form part of the design. Wrexham said this will allow the club to meet the all-seater criteria of UEFA’s Category 4 status while allowing supporters to stand for club matches. An example of the seating will be installed in the stadium car park for supporters to view.
The additional 500 seats will be for corporate guests and will provide direct access from the hospitality lounge. Accessible seating will be available at elevated positions and the stand has been designed to recognise Wrexham’s link with the coal mining industry.
A statutory consultation period of one month will commence on July 1, with Wrexham intending to meet as many organisations as possible who have an interest in the development. The club then intends to submit a planning application to Wrexham County Borough Council for permission to deliver the new Kop stand.
Wrexham hopes to open the new stand in time for the start of the 2024-25 season.
In February, one year on from the takeover of the club, Wrexham reached a heads of terms agreement to purchase the freehold of the Racecourse Ground. AFL Architects was last year appointed by Wrexham to develop the stadium, which first opened in 1864 for football.
Image: Wrexham AFC
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