Football club to score with new stadium

ACCINGTON Stanley Football Club have signed North West-based Frank Whittle Partnership to deliver an ambitious multi-million pound redevelopment of its Wham Stadium home.

Owner Andy Holt has hailed a era for the League Two club after plans were put forward for redevelopment.

Holt has been in talks with Hyndburn Council since he took over the League Two club in October last year about securing a new lease on the ground.

Terms have been agreed on a 50-year lease and now plans are in to begin the first phase of the proposed development which is a new 1,500 capacity all-seater stand down the Whinney Hill side of the ground.

The new stand designed by stadium specialist FWP, which has offices in Preston, Manchester and London, will have modern spectator facilities in the concourse and the potential to be split to accommodate home and away supporters.

The single-tier stand is also future-proofed with the possibility of adding corporate entertainment boxes and facilities built into its design.

The present stadium has a capacity of just above 5,000 and that figure is planned to remain the same under the redevelopment plan.

Holt said: “We have been working together with the council and local community and looking at a substantial investment that will improve the entire area.

“We will create community facilities that should make the whole area something the people of Accrington can be proud of.

“It will be also a major boost for football fans coming to the Wham Stadium and improve their match day experience.”

Neil Ainsworth, a partner at FWP, is leading the design team on the project. He said: “We are all excited by the potential to create a modern, vibrant new home for one of the most instantly recognised names in the footballing world.

“Having designed and built around 60 new stadiums and facilities for clubs up and down the leagues and the country, we know what works best for each club and how to make the new ground a real asset to the club, its fans and the town.”

FWP has a wealth of experience designing and master-planning community sports developments of all sizes across the UK.

Its ambitious masterplan to create a £100m eco-friendly sports and green technology complex, including a new 5,000 capacity ground for National League Forest Green Rovers football club, has  been submitted to planning chiefs in Stroud.

FWP has worked on successful projects with Preston North End, redeveloping its historic Deepdale ground, and Fleetwood Town.
 
It is also developing stadia and community assets for clubs including Oldham Athletic, FC United of Manchester, Peterborough United and Leamington FC.
 
It is also behind the plan to create an £18m mixed-use development on the outskirts of Kirkham in Lancashire, which includes a new ground for ambitious non-league football club AFC Fylde.
 
Other FWP projects include a masterplan to create a multi-million pound out-of-town football and leisure development for Football League club Scunthorpe United.
 
FWP’s portfolio of sports projects includes the acclaimed revamp of the historic Doncaster racecourse, home of the St Leger meeting.
 
The practice has also played a major role in ambitious regeneration and redevelopment plans which centre on Rugby Union club Leicester Tiger’s Welford Road stadium.