Croydon Council has approved a project that has been in the works since 2018. As part of the redevelopment, the main stand at Selhurst Park, which was built 100 years ago, will be demolished.

Increased capacity, new quality

The 5,200-seat stand will be replaced with a modern structure that will accommodate 15,300 fans. This will increase Selhurst Park's capacity from 25,486 to over 34,000 seats. Last year, Palace received preliminary planning permission from Croydon Council, but residents of Wooderson Close had to give their approval, as their homes were set to be demolished as part of the project.

The new stand will have three levels and improved access for disabled fans. It will also feature a new club shop, museum, and café. The KSS Group is overseeing the project and aims to make it a carbon-neutral development. This firm has been involved in many prestigious projects, including the construction of state-of-the-art training pitches for Tottenham and Liverpool, as well as the redevelopment of Anfield’s main stand and Court No. 1 at Wimbledon.

© Crystal Palace FC / KSS Design Group

Despite challenges

The new stand will have a glass façade inspired by the historic Crystal Palace Exhibition Hall from 1851. Palace first unveiled plans for the new £100 million Main Stand in 2018. The project was delayed by council administrative procedures and negotiations with local residents. The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted the timeline.

After receiving approval from the council, Steve Parish said, Today’s announcement confirming we have been granted formal planning permission is another positive and exciting milestone in this project. We are making excellent progress with the program and have allocated significant resources to complete the detailed design of the stand.

© Crystal Palace FC / KSS Design Group