Planners approve FWP stadium blueprint

A NEW stadium for Football League club Scunthorpe United, designed by the Frank Whittle Partnership (FWP), has been given the go-ahead by planners.
 
The club now hopes to move into the state-of-the-art 12,000 capacity all-seater ground for the start of the 2016-17 season after being given the green light for the development by North Lincolnshire Council.
 
The stadium is part of a masterplan for a £25m out-of-town football and leisure development created by Manchester and Preston-based FWP’s architecture and design team for the club on a site near its present Glanford Park ground.
 
The overall FWP plan also includes a 100-bed hotel, a multi-use indoor arena, community sports pitches and, potentially, indoor and outdoor bowling facilities.
 
The new home for the League One side, expected to cost in the region of £18 million, will have club and executive facilities, a gym, office space and areas for commercial development as well as a club venue and supporters’ bar.
 
David Robinson, managing partner at FWP, said: “We have worked very hard with the club to create a vibrant and modern development that will be a real asset to the community and the local economy.
 
“The aim is develop modern facilities that will be used by members of the community seven days a week, throughout the year, something we believe is vitally important for modern day sports venues to provide.
 
“The football stadium is really special and the design, with its sweeping curves is striking.
 
“It will provide the club and its fans with fantastic facilities and we’ve designed the stands to ensure the supporters are close to the action on the pitch, adding to the atmosphere and the match day experience.
 
“The plan will deliver a vibrant, modern new home for Scunthorpe United and its supporters.
 
“There is no doubt that this development will be of major benefit not only to the club and its fans but also to the whole community.”