England: Stockport Country to redevelop Edgeley Park

source: StadiumDB.com; author: Mateusz Osmola

England: Stockport Country to redevelop Edgeley Park Stockport County FC, who compete in English Football League Two, has presented its concept for the remodelling of their home venue. The plans envisage an expansion of Edgeley Park's capacity to 20,000 seats, as part of team's long-term goal to return to the Championship.

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Edgeley Park was built for Stockport RFC Rugby Club in 1891, but by 1902 the team had ceased to exist, and Stockport County Football Club moved to the ground in their place. Throughout its history the stadium underwent several modernisations, most notable being the construction of the Cheadle End, which opened in 1995. Edgeley Park can now accommodate 10,900 spectators. In 2015, Stockport Council purchased the stadium for around £2 million, leasing it back to the football club, in order to prevent it from being demolished and redeveloped.

Edgeley Park© Ceaton89 (CC BY 4.0)

Local businessman, Mark Stott, purchased County for an undisclosed amount in 2020 and cleared its debts. The new owner pledged to return the club to proper football competition with a goal of reaching the Football League and finding a new training ground. "The Hatters" topped the fifth tier, the National League, in 2021/22 campaign, and secured promotion back to the EFL after an 11-year drought. County is aiming even higher and will try to get back to the Championship for the first time in over 20 years. Well, one does not have to wait that long for best casino bonuses. In order to achieve the objective, a better stadium will be required for Stockport.

The club will launch a public consultation process on September 28, seeking feedback on proposals to expand and improve Edgeley Park. The consultation, which will be conducted in two stages, will include events for local residents and supporters of the club to see the emerging plans and talk to the design team. The proposal for the expansion of the stadium includes construction of brand-new East and South Stands, making them similar in height to the existing Cheadle End. It also envisions extension of the North Stand.

Edgeley Park© Ceaton89 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Altogether, the capacity of the venue will be increased to around 20,000 seats. There are no plans expand the Cheadle End stand itself. The proposals would provide full accessibility to the whole stadium, with brand new facilities, a new catering offer and hospitality areas, as well as 30,000 square feet of flexible working space in the new East Stand.

The club has committed to two phases of public consultation before submitting planning applications at the end of the year. This will set out the outline vision for the whole expansion project, as well as more detailed plans for the East Stand. The first targeted remodelling is expected to start in the summer of 2023.

"The Hatters" said the major development of 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 will also be working on a transportation plan to encourage fans to travel to matches using sustainable means of transport and minimise the impact on the local community.

Edgeley Park© Ceaton89 (CC BY 4.0)

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