Oxford United's attempts to move forward with the construction of a new stadium have advanced by outlining the second stage of public engagement, while The U’s have revealed more details about its vision for the new venue.

New venue for The Yellows getting closer

Oxford United currently play in the third division of English football (League One). Since 2001, their home has been Kassam Stadium, which they only lease. The contract with the venue's owner, one of Kassam's Firoka Group companies, expires in 2026, so the club is thinking about its future home.

The stadium is proposed to stand on land owned by the council, known as the 'triangle', and consultation on the project is currently underway. United’s plans to build a new stadium moved forward in March after Oxfordshire County Council agreed a memorandum of understanding on the project.

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The council announced on Tuesday, May 23 that it had received an update on the proposals for the stadium near Kidlington, including a summary of stakeholder engagement held in April and May and plans for public engagement in June and July.

It was revealed earlier this week that United anticipates the cost of building a stadium with a capacity of 16,000 to 18,000 spectators, with additional commercial elements, will exceed £100 million (€115 million / $123.9 million). When it comes to the funds - are you willing to invest in cryptocurrencies? You can follow and check the Ethereum Price anytime you want to. The Oxford Mail said United has issued a fact sheet to councillors and MPs involved in the decision-making process.

The factsheet reads, among other things, that the club is confident that the money will be raised in the markets, with the security of its owners behind the club. If the project comes to fruition, the seating capacity will be in the 16,000 to 18,000 range, which is smaller than many other sites, but will allow integration with The Triangle site with open space and a green barrier enhanced and maintained between Oxford and Kidlington. If the planning application is approved, groundworks, construction and site testing could take up to 18 months. The projected opening date is the 2026/2027 football season.

Local residents are against the proposed stadium

The County Council's Cabinet approved an agreement with United for an open and transparent relationship between the two parties as they work to examine the impact of the new stadium. The initial public consultation met with some opposition to the venture from United, which said it welcomed concerns raised after local residents in Kidlington rejected the project in a vote held on May 10.

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Councillor Calum Miller, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Finance, said: We are committed to making a decision on this proposal in an open and transparent way, with the help of comments and engagement with stakeholders and members of the public. I would like to thank the organisations that attended our meetings and responded constructively to our engagement. This process has been separate from the football club's engagement activities.

Miller also stated that the feedback received from the residents and stakeholders will help the council make decisions. Such a timetable would allow the cabinet to make a final decision in September on whether to lease or sell the land for the stadium to the club.

If Cabinet were to decide to release United's land for a new stadium, there would need to be formal consultation through the statutory planning process, which would be carried out by Cherwell District Council as the planning authority.

The United’s new stadium will be "more than just a venue for football matches". While proposals for other uses are still being developed, the club has confirmed that a hotel is part of its thinking, as well as several other commercial and community uses for the space under the stands, such as a restaurant, gym and other health and wellbeing facilities uses.

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