Images: Stockport County
League Two football club Stockport County has unveiled fresh plans to redevelop Edgeley Park, with renderings showing a venue with a capacity of around 18,000.
Stockport has launched the next phase of consultation on plans for a phased expansion of Edgeley Park, which has a current capacity of 10,852 and has served as the club’s home since 1902.
In September 2022, the club set out its vision to redevelop the stadium into a 20,000-seat facility as part of its long-term ambition to return to the Championship, but the plans have been scaled back slightly following feedback from the local community and fans.
The initial consultation found that fans and locals desire a ‘true community stadium’ with access to a wide range of spaces. A stadium with a better overall matchday experience, including more covered seating with a great view of the pitch, was also preferred.
Other feedback from the initial consultation includes a greater range of food and drink options, improved accessibility for fans with disabilities and additional needs, quick and easy routes into and away from Edgeley Park, and a more environmentally friendly and sustainable ground.
The latest proposals are based on a phased approach to investing in stadium improvements, with the initial phase to include the eastern expansion and enhancement of the North Stand and East Stand.
The expanded North Stand would provide around 600 additional seats, increasing the stand’s capacity to around 2,680, while the new East Stand would see its capacity increase from 1,366 to around 4,500. The North Stand’s historic brick frontage would be retained and repaired as part of any redevelopment.
Subject to securing planning permission, County hopes to begin work on the North Stand eastern extension in early 2025. Long term, the South Stand’s capacity would increase to around 5,500, while a further 600 seats would be added to the North Stand as part of its western extension.
A hybrid planning application is expected to be submitted by the club in the next few months following the consultation process.
County said its investment into Edgeley Park also presents an opportunity to improve the environmental performance of the stadium and support Stockport and Greater Manchester’s carbon reduction targets. The club is also developing a travel plan with the aim of encouraging fans to use sustainable transport to get to matches.
Ken Knott, non-executive chairman at County, said: “We are delighted to be bringing forward plans for the expansion and enhancement of Edgeley Park to create a true community stadium.
“We know just how much the ground means to the fans and local community; it has been at the beating heart of Stockport for over 120 years. Ultimately, we want to ensure that the stadium matches our level of ambition so it can continue to provide a first-rate home for the club and the local community for many years to come.
“Following our first round of consultation in 2022, we took our time to review and reflect upon the feedback we received, and we have developed our plans accordingly. We want to ensure our plans for Edgeley Park provide our fans with the best possible matchday experience, whilst also remaining sensitive to our neighbours and providing the people of Stockport with a range of high-quality new community spaces.”
Stockport was promoted from the National League to League Two in 2022 and finished fourth last season, losing the play-off final to Carlisle United on penalties. The club is currently third in the league, three points off the top of the table with two games in hand.
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