New consultation launched on Stockport County ground expansion plans

A new phase of consultation on plans for a phased expansion of Stockport County’s historic Edgeley Park stadium has begun.

The proposals would increase capacity from 10,852 up to around 18,000.

The plans for the expansion and enhancement of Edgeley Park were initially announced back in 2022, when the club agreed a 250-year lease for the ground and introduced its vision and invited feedback from the local community and fans. The feedback received during the consultation was instrumental in shaping the core objectives for the expansion:

• Create a true ‘community stadium’ with access to a wide range of spaces for the local community
• Create a better matchday experience for all, including more covered seating with a great view of the pitch
• Provide a greater range of high quality food and drink options
• Improve the stadium’s accessibility for those with disabilities and additional needs
• Offer quick and easy routes into and away from Edgeley Park, for the benefit of fans, visitors and local residents
• Make Edgeley Park more environmentally friendly and sustainable

The latest proposals, being unveiled today (March 14), are based on a phased approach to investing in improvements to Edgeley Park, to ensure sustainable growth.

The initial phase would include the eastern expansion and enhancement of the historic North Stand (Danny Bergara Stand) and East Stand (Railway End).

The expanded North Stand would provide around 600 additional seats, increasing the capacity of this stand to around 2,680, while the new East Stand would see its capacity increase from 1,366 up to around 4,500. As part of the plans, the North Stand’s historic brick frontage along Hardcastle Road would be retained and repaired.

Subject to securing planning permission, the club is looking to begin work on the North Stand eastern extension in early 2025.

As part of the club’s longer term plans, it is envisaged that the South Stand (Together Stand) would be redeveloped to increase its capacity to around 5,500, as well as delivering new food and beverage and hospitality facilities. The final element would be a western extension to the North Stand, providing another 600 seats.

Stockport County intends to submit a hybrid planning application for the expansion in the next few months, following on from its consultation process.

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.

Ken Knott, Non-Executive Chairman at Stockport County, said: “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.”

He added: “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.”

The second round of consultation on the plans for Edgeley Park is now under way and will remain open until Wednesday, April 3, 2024. As part of the consultation, several public drop-in sessions are taking place at the stadium on the following dates:

• Tuesday, March 19, 3pm-7pm
• Saturday, March 23, 2:30pm-5pm (matchday event)
• Monday, March 25, 11am-3pm

To view more information on the plans, please visit the club’s website.