Villa Park Expansion Plan Approved

The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham did not involve many new construction projects as most of the venues were already there, although the Alexandra Stadium was expanded for the athletics events.

However, plans for a major sporting venue in the city that did not feature in the Games have been given planning permission.

Premier League side Aston Villa have got the green light for a stadium expansion plan that will see the club demolish the existing north stand and replace it with a larger structure that will increase the capacity by 7,500 from its existing figures, taking the overall number of people able to attend matches at Villa Park to more than 50,000.

The £100 million project will also see the existing Trinity Stand being upgraded, the addition of Villa Live, a 6,500 sq m commercial centre that will replace the club’s existing shop, security lodge and academy building, plus the redevelopment of the Witton Lane entrance to the stadium. The blueprint envisages 7,000 sq m of new public realm being created around the stadium.

Villa have gained the support of local people through a public consultation that 10,000 people participated in, and part of the wider scheme involves enhancing the local transport infrastructure with better roads and more capacity at the nearby Witton railway station. 

Winter construction work clothes will undoubtedly be needed by those working on the project, as the scale of the undertaking is such that it will be impossible to carry it all out in the summer. 

A key question is what happens to fans who have presently have season tickets in the North Stand. While these are guaranteed for the rest of the current season, the next step is uncertain, not least as the exact start date for work has not yet been confirmed. However, the club has said that it will “continue to consult fans to determine the best solution for North Stand season ticket holders”.

In all likelihood, this will involve them being moved to other locations in the stadium, perhaps with first refusal on season tickets in the new stand once these become available. 

The redevelopment of the stadium could be completed well ahead of 2028, when the UK and Ireland is hoping to host the European Championships and Villa Park is one of the stadiums on the shortlist of venues.

Villa Park is not the only sporting venue in Birmingham where redevelopment plans have been proposed. Across the city, Warwickshire County Cricket Club revealed a blueprint for the further development of Edgbaston Cricket Ground in the autumn.

The club is seeking government ‘levelling up’ money for a project that will not just add new seats through the development of the Priory and Raglan Stands, but will also create more community spaces for local use. This will include a community hub that could include an NHS walk-in centre, as well as an ‘Edgbaston Piazza’ for events like Eid and Diwali and open air screenings.

Other possible plans include a new hotel, improved sustainable travel to the venue and the redevelopment of the nearby former Quinton Police Station as a second community hub.