Aston Villa's North Stand plans set for approval – and could transform the club and the area
Planning permission is sought for the extension of the stadium's North Stand, increasing its size by 5,926 seats to take the ground's overall capacity to 48,809.
This marks a key date in Aston Villa's ambition to raise the maximum number of spectators above 50,000 in time for the 2028 European Championship, being co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, in which theirs is set to be one of the nine grounds staging games.
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A raised capacity would also assist with Villa's efforts to grow matchday revenues, helping them comply with profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). Presently, a major issue impacting the ability to drive revenues is stadium capacity. West Ham United, for example, boast a ground that holds 20,000 more spectators than Villa Park's 42,640.
Within draft papers seen by The Athletic are the details of the application. Pertinently, it indicates that the planning application has been recommended for approval by council planners and, therefore, work on extending the North Stand should be authorised.
Technically, the draft documents relating to Villa Park's expansion could change or be dropped at any stage and will be confirmed shortly. The draft paper, though, has summarised: 'The Birmingham Development Plan (BDP) supports the enhancement of the city's sporting infrastructure and recognises the role of major sporting venues in contributing to Birmingham's international profile, economy and social wellbeing.'
Villa's vision has long been to create a 50,000-plus capacity stadium for themselves, increasing the maximum crowd size by 8,000 in time for Euro 2028. To meet that target, it is felt work would have to begin next summer at the latest.
The North Stand, behind one of the goals and opposite the famed Holte End, is integral to the redevelopment — the planning committee will decide whether to sanction plans to house more than 12,000 spectators there. Incremental additions to the three other sides of the ground will lead to the targeted capacity and, longer-term, to a 52,500-seat venue.
The Athletic has seen copies of redevelopment proposals, which show a higher overall structure and seating in the upper tier of the North Stand than currently exists, with a redesigned lower tier also creating additional capacity. The new North Stand will wrap around into the neighbouring main Trinity Stand.
'The current facade (front of the stand) would be retained, reclad and glazed, to modernise the existing structure,' the report says. 'The existing roof would be replaced by a new structure that would appear to float above the stand, allowing the light to pass through.'
Building works would result in an extended North Stand 'arrival plaza' for visiting teams to enter the stadium, as well as relocating present security operations into the revamped structure.
As previously explained, expanding Villa Park has been a complex issue.
Planning permission was secured in December 2022, albeit under a different construction model, and intended to be put into action at the end of the 2023-24 season.
However, that project was shelved the following year, with the latest expansion proposal being announced this April. In the new application, Villa have used recommendations from 2022 to form the base of their planning, such as the advice given on travel plans and transport assessments.
This time, their North Stand rebuild is described as more 'pragmatic.'
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'The supporting transport assessment notes this increase in capacity is less than previously approved, so any impacts will be slightly less,' the report reads. 'The club have now reassessed their vision and decided to realise this in a different way. This involved securing independent planning permissions for the redevelopment of the new club shop and the transformation of the existing 'Academy' building on site, fronting onto Witton Lane, into 'The Warehouse' (a newly developed live entertainment venue opening next to Villa Park).
'Both permissions have now been implemented, with the new club shop opening in April 2025 and The Warehouse due to open by December 2025.'
Reasons for supporting the North Stand plans are given, including the 'considerable social and economic benefits' of the encompassing area. The report states that Villa Park attracts approximately 1.17million visitors annually, which contributes an estimated £41.1m ($55.3m) in local spending. Moreover, should the building work proceed — which would take around two years to complete — further economic benefits include the creation of 192 full-time jobs.
The report notes the measures required to support the stadium expansion. To help deal with the higher footfall and, consequently, an increased level of matchday traffic within a compact, urban area to the north of Birmingham's city centre, there are several 'soft measures' being considered.
Research indicates that 59 per cent of supporters for 3pm kick-offs arrive by car, 30 per cent on train and three per cent via bus. As a result, improvements are needed in off-site, off-street parking, as well as more effective rail and bus services. Taxi pick-up areas and more coach and bus routes to and from the ground are other examples of soft measures required.
Meanwhile, harder measures — more objective and essential — will be discussed, including additional pedestrian routes, areas to park bikes and semi-permanent barriers at nearby Aston train station.
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As is customary for an application such as this, various groups related to the redevelopment have been asked if they objected to the planning application. These ranged from historical and conservation groups, as well as national highways, Network Rail, the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and Severn Trent Water — which recommended a drainage plan — plus the West Midlands' fire and police services.
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) stated there is 'an opportunity to make further sustainable transport commitments' and outlined a desire to work with the council on specific points. These consist of train schedules, mitigation plans, bus routes and accident-data analysis.
Leisure services commented on a lack of soft landscaping, 'suggesting more consideration could be made on incorporating further trees within the car parking areas'. Similarly, other environmental groups recommended that certain conditions be met, such as additional details regarding new planting and how to implement an ecological management plan. For example, the RSPB Bird & Wildlife Conservation Charity suggested installing swift nest bricks to aid local biodiversity.
There were no objections from the aforementioned groups.
Before the application was submitted, local residents and councillors held two meetings in May to discuss the planning application. Afterwards, a statement from the local 'Community Engagement' group came out in support of the proposals.
One letter from a resident in support was received, who said that a high-end sporting venue is a net positive, though they insisted transport assessments should be more ambitious. This, naturally, included the redesign of neighbouring Witton rail station, which the club said was a 'vital component' of ensuring the redevelopment proceeds. Any capacity increase would place an unmanageable strain on local transport, so Villa need the stadium expansion to happen alongside the station's rebuild.
There is pragmatism from all parties that, while a total and costly rebuild of Witton station is off the table, smaller changes to it would enable Villa Park's capacity to be increased, as outlined in The Athletic's report in May.
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There was no universal agreement from residents. Objectors cite issues around noise and general disruption, with the stadium expansion, in their view, blocking sunlight and proving an eyesore.
To counteract this argument, within the planning application, it is explained that the stadium's extension 'would respond sensitively to the surrounding low-rise residential housing within proximity to the (North) Stand, by reducing the roof impact and using transparent materials to minimise visual intrusion'.
An upshot of more supporters on matchdays would mean an increase in traffic and the amount of rubbish left on the surrounding streets, which has been a long-standing issue in the Aston area and one that local councillors have looked to resolve by increasing street cleaning and the number of bins available.
One particular objection was that Villa allegedly blocked a resident's mobile phone data on matchdays.
'AVFC has no control over mobile networks and matters related to mobile data performance or telecommunication signal quality are the responsibility of mobile network operators, not the football club,' was the response stated within the report.
Nonetheless, the overall feedback, logistically and personally, is strongly in favour of expansion.
Should the council's planning committee members believe the same, it will mark a significant step in the long-term ambitions of redeveloping Villa Park.
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