Stockport County have announced that the next phase of consultation on plans to expand Edgeley Park has begun.
The expansion of the ground would take Edgeley Park from its current capacity of 10,852 to around 18,000.
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Stockport County has today launched its next phase of consultation on plans for a phased expansion of Edgeley Park, which would increase capacity from 10,852 up to c.18,000.
More details 👉 https://t.co/EygweOBCSR#StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/Bj5tHO48kS
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) March 13, 2024
Fan feedback vital to expansion plans
When the plans to expand and improve Edgeley Park were announced in 2022, Stockport County invited feedback from the local community and supporters.
In the club statement on Wednesday, Stockport revealed that in the first consultation fans insisted on a “community stadium,” which includes covered seating with good views of the pitch.
As well as this, fans suggested that the stadium’s accessibility for those with disabilities and additional facilities should be improved and that the ground needs to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable in the future.
Other notable points were that the expanded stadium should have high-quality food and drink options and have quick and easy routes for spectators to visit the stadium.
Stockport commit to ‘phased approach’ for Edgeley Park expansion
Stockport revealed that the plans “are based on a phased approach to investing in improvements to Edgeley Park, in order to ensure sustainable growth.”
Initially, the club plan to expand and enhance the North Stand (Danny Bergara Stand) and East Stand (Railway End). This would see the North Stand expanded by 600 seats and the East Stand by 1366 seats. Included in the plans is ensuring that the North Stand’s historic brick frontage along Hardcastle Road is retained and repaired.
– Planning for work to begin on Danny Bergara Stand (Main Stand) in early 2025
– Main Stand increased to 2.6k, Railway End to 4.5k
– Main Stand facade to be retained
– Pop Side increased to 5.5k, with new hospitality facilities etc#stockportcountyhttps://t.co/bMugqM6nkY pic.twitter.com/cqqWKLkowg
— Sam Byrne (@_SByrne) March 13, 2024
Stockport are looking to begin the North Stand eastern extension in early 2025, however, it is subject to planning permission.
Long-term plans and environmental sustainability
The Hatters’ long-term plans include the redevelopment and expansion of the South Stand (Together Stand) and 600 additional seats in the North Stand. A hybrid planning application for the expansion will be submitted in the next few months.
Redeveloping Edgeley Park will be done with environmental sustainability in mind. Stockport said: “The major 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 travel to matches using sustainable modes of travel and minimising impacts on the local community.”
Second round of consultation underway
Following on from the original consultation phase in 2022, the club have announced that the second round is now well underway. This round of consultations on the plans for Edgeley Park will continue until Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
Drop-in sessions at the ground to discuss the plans will take place on the following dates:
- Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 3pm – 7pm
- Saturday, March 23, 2024, 2:30pm – 5pm (matchday event)
- Monday, March 25, 2024, 11am – 3pm
Ken Knott statement
Ken Knott, Non-Executive Chairman at Stockport 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.
“This is a very exciting time for the club as we continue to go from strength to strength, both on and off the field. We have outlined our ambition to reach the Championship, and we have already taken great strides towards reaching this goal over the past two seasons. Ultimately, we believe that the expansion and enhancement of Edgeley Park is crucial in order to support the continued growth of the club and provide a platform for further success.”