Aston Villa is planning to expand Villa Park, which has been its home since 1897, increasing the stadium’s capacity to more than 50,000.
The ground currently holds 42,640 spectators, but the redevelopment will increase the number of seats available in the North Stand to more than 12,000.
The English Premier League club is aiming for the renovation to be completed in the second half of 2027. This is so that the stadium is ready for the UEFA Euro 2028 tournament which it is due to be a host venue for.
“This project will mark an important milestone in the club’s journey to becoming a world-class sports and entertainment venue,” said executive chairman of Aston Villa, Nassef Sawiris.
“A bigger, better North Stand will not only allow many more Villans to see their team in person, improving matchday experience, but will also dramatically improve the club’s ability to invest and compete in the long term.”
Aston Villa claims that the redevelopment of the North Stand will propel its gross contribution to the local economy to £120m ($160m/€140m) per year.
This includes supporting more than 1,700 full-time equivalent jobs and attracting more than 1.1 million visitors to Villa Park each year.
Plans for an expanded North Stand were first announced in 2022. However, in December of the following year, plans were shelved as a reduced matchday capacity would have to be enforced.
The redevelopment has now received the green light as the club has “found a way to adapt and modernise the existing structure of the North Stand without losing any seats during the season.”
Furthermore, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has committed to his campaign manifesto to rebuild Witton Station, which is key to the expansion.
The club has suggested improvements such as replacing the current station passenger shelters, introducing larger and safer queuing systems, and introducing higher capacity trains to better handle the increase of passengers on matchday.
“We have been working closely with the club, Network Rail and other partners to ensure the necessary improvements at Witton Station will be made in time for the Euros in 2028,” said Parker.
“I am fully committed to securing upgrades including safer queuing systems, new passenger shelters, a new footbridge and higher capacity services, so we can double the station’s handling capacity and deliver a world-class experience for fans arriving at Villa Park during the tournament and beyond.”
