Cash injection of £4m agreed for Headingley

COUNCIL bosses have agreed a £4m injection into the £28.5m Headingley Stadium redevelopment.

With more cricket clubs than the whole of Australia, Yorkshire is keen on cricket, and the club said that a new stadium development will rake in £5.75m of visitor spend in Leeds per year.

The club said with the redevelopment of the North-South stand, it was in for a chance at securing four World Cup matches in 2019.

The proposed redevelopment would see the existing North-South Stand demolished and replaced with a new three-tier stand with a capacity for 5060 spectators.

This would bring potential audience numbers to 18,500.

The English Cricket Board said; “Whilst the ECB is delighted with the role Yorkshire CCC is currently playing on and off the field, its facilities in the North/South stand are in need of significant upgrading if Headingley is to retain Category A status in the medium to long-term and reach parity with the other Category A venues across the country.’

The council loaned the club £5m in 2005 to enable them to purchase the freehold of Headingley Cricket Ground which was repaid by December 2015.

Headingley Stadium is also home to Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club and Leeds Carnegie Rugby Union Club.