Elland Road: Leeds City Council approve plans to make Leeds United's home one of the biggest in England
Leeds City Council’s executive board have unanimously approved plans to make Leeds United’s Elland Road home of the biggest stadiums in England.
Councillors were briefed on a plan to increase capacity to up to 56,500, a major increase on the current capacity of 37,792.
As land immediately surrounding the stadium is owned by Leeds City Council, agreements needed to be struck before expansion.
However, plans have now been given the go-ahead in another boost for the club following their promotion to the Premier League.
When it was announced councillors were set to be briefed, council leader James Lewis said: “Elland Road and Leeds United are part of the heart and soul of the city, and the club deserves a stadium befitting of its special status and incredible fans.
“Naturally we’re keen to support this however we can, and to work closely with the club to ensure they are in the best possible position to achieve their ambitions and build a bigger, brighter future for the club, their supporters and sport in the city.”
The report put before councillors also detailed a plan to regenerate the surrounding area, including focus on the Heart of Holbeck project.
It is believed plans could unlock billions of pounds of investment and with a potential mass rapid transit link for South Leeds, there is thought to be potential for Elland Road to become a year-round destination.
Councillor Lewis said: “From a wider perspective, the regeneration of the Elland Road area also represents one of the city’s most exciting development opportunities for a generation, which would revitalise a huge area of Leeds and potentially bring hundreds of millions of pounds into our local economy.
“Local residents will be fully consulted throughout the planning process and we’re keen to ensure their voices are heard and that they get the chance to inform the project at each stage.
“We want to do all that we can to maximise this incredible opportunity and put everything we can in place, including our MoU with the club’s development partner LFG, to facilitate what could represent a genuine game changer for Leeds.”