Portman Road redevelopment has been in the news for some time, and last summer, this work went up a notch as the club prepared for its Premier League return.
Although Ipswich failed to beat the drop in their first season back in the big time, the work they did during the summer of 2024 was still very much worth doing and will stand them in good stead moving forward.
Below, we look at the recent changes to Portman Road and what the club has planned for the future.
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New Portman Road car park plans
In October 2025, it was reported that Ipswich Borough Council will submit revised plans for a new £19.7m car park, with this needed to happen before any work on the Cobbald Stand expansion can take place.
The original plans were changed due to an ‘unacceptable' number of bays, and the new plan will address this by incorporating the Portman Road car park B into the plans, delivering a total of 718 car parking spaces.
The revised plans have been approved by the council with five votes for and one against, meaning a new planning application will now be submitted, with the plans set to be discussed as early as January 2026, while work will then be expected to run from the summer until December 2027.
Ipswich to buy land for stadium expansion
In October 2024, Ipswich's Chief Executive, Mark Ashton, announced that the club had an agreement in principle to purchase a large piece of land behind Portman Road with an eye on stadium expansion.
The land is directly behind the Cobbold Stand, and Ashton said at the time that he had visions for the stand to have two tiers in the medium to long term.
As of October 2025, there have been reports that the existing surface-level car parks in the area need to be replaced before any work on the Cobbald expansion can go ahead.
Portman Road redevelopment: Expansion of away end
One of the biggest developments in the summer of 2024 was installing a safe standing area in the Cobbold Stand. This is the part of the stadium where away fans are based on Portman Road, so visiting fans can expect rail seating when they visit Ipswich in the Premier League.
The away allocation inside the Cobbold Stand was increased from 2,000 to 3,000 to comply with Premier League rules on away allocation percentages. As a result, more than 700 Ipswich season ticket holders based in the Cobbold Stand have been moved elsewhere.
Other expansion projects at Portman Road
The floodlights were upgraded at other parts of Portman Road, while a new television studio was built above the control room. Because Ipswich can expect more media and television coverage, the club deemed an updated studio necessary.
Last season, there were five or six cameras at the ground, but according to the club's chief executive Mark Ashton, this is expected to increase to around 47 for this season.
The stadium's West Stand will receive new executive boxes, which are currently being built. When the stadium redevelopment was announced at the start of the summer, this particular project was expected to be completed by mid-August.
Overall, Ipswich had 104 projects to complete at Portman Road in preparation for the 2024/25 Premier League season. The total cost of all of these projects is expected to come to several million pounds, but the Tractor Boys still spent ambitiously in the transfer market, buying the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves, and Liam Delap and spending over £100m.
In July 2024, Connor Bennett and Jack Maclean of BBC News, Suffolk, said: “While some projects are visible within the stadium, many more are happening behind the scenes.
“This includes revamping the home and away dressing rooms, as well as facilities for officials, plus creating a new media suite for press conferences, upgrading the reception area and creating a new “mixed area” for players and media.”
📰 Ipswich Town Football Club is pleased to announce that a full planning application for development of the Club’s training centre has now been approved.
Work is set to begin imminently. ⤵️
— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) March 14, 2025
Ipswich training ground plans approved
While Ipswich training ground falls outside Portman Road redevelopment, it is part of the club's ambitious plans to upgrade its outdated facilities. A training ground upgrade application they submitted in November 2024 has been approved.
This means work at the Playford Road site will begin imminently, but it might take up to 14 months to complete. Club Chairman and CEO Mark Ashton has emphasised the need to continue on the club's progressive path, which he argues will help develop elite players.
An initial £30 for the project will be used to refurbish the Ipswich Academy, the women's team's building and construct a state-of-the-art training facility for the first team.