Featured image credit: Leicestershire CCC
Leicestershire County Cricket Club has announced plans for a £60m (€67.4m/$71.2m) redevelopment of the Uptonsteel County Ground as it looks to transform the stadium into a multi-purpose destination.
The club has entered into consultation with developers, stakeholders and the community over the plans. Extensive talks have already taken place with architects, research consultants and financial bodies to produce design specifications for a transformed stadium.
The plans also include potential new facilities for the surrounding community, including residential homes, healthcare and retail options. The launch of an Academy of Cricket campus, which Leicestershire said could host the world’s first MBA in cricket management, also forms part of the long-term vision for the project.
Leicestershire is currently in talks with interested stakeholders, with a local residents’ group having been formed. The group has attended an initial forum to ensure locals can be fully involved in the process. The research undertaken also considers sustainable development, along with potential ways of off-setting carbon emissions.
Club chief executive Sean Jarvis said: “This is something we have been working on for some considerable time alongside research consultants who have presented us with a number of viable options. It is now a case of putting more ‘meat on the bones’ on the proposals and we will therefore be holding talks with a wide range of interested stakeholders. Our intention is to consult with the community along every step of this journey.
“We need to generate new revenue streams if we wish for the club to develop, and the progression of these plans will not only guarantee a bright future for the club, but also for the local community who will benefit hugely from this investment.”
On the proposed academic activities, Jarvis added: “As a club, we have always enjoyed success in developing cricketing talent of the future on the pitch. Our ambition is that we now want to replicate this off the pitch by creating opportunities for individuals searching for a career in the wider cricket environment. We have already held explorative talks with several higher education providers in the region and their feedback has been very encouraging.”
Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “Leicester is rightly proud of its sporting institutions. Our city has already benefited from the Tigers’ redevelopment of their Welford Road site, and we are looking forward to LCFC (Leicester City Football Club) taking forward their ambitious plans very soon.
“I welcome the cricket club’s announcement and their plans to bring wider benefits to the local community, including new academic programmes with the potential to put Leicestershire on the international stage.”
Uptonsteel has held naming rights to the County Ground at Grace Road stadium since January 2021. The stadium has a current capacity of 6,000.
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