Bristol City opts for £40m revamp of Ashton Gate stadium
by Tom Anstey | 11 Feb 2014
The club wants to replace two of the existing stands to increase ground capacity from 21,500 to 27,000 / Bristol City
Bristol City has vetoed plans to move to a new stadium in favour of a £40m revamp of its current home at Ashton Gate.
Bristol Sport, which owns the football club, wants to replace two of the existing stands to increase ground capacity from 21,500 to 27,000. As part of the redevelopment of Ashton Gate, the club intend to install the new seating in two stands, with the areas initially being used only for rugby as they have not been cleared by the football league.
The plan was made as an alternative to building a new stadium at nearby Ashton Vale, after plans faltered in recent years.
Capita Symonds has been appointed to the £40m redevelopment that would comprise of the new stands in addition to a pitch widening, expected to be complete in time for the 2016/17 season.
The work was approved by Bristol City Council in November.
Bristol City's chair Steve Lansdown told the club's official website: "We'll sign the section 106 agreement any day now and then we have six weeks to wait for the judicial review period.
"We wanted to give some certainty to supporters, so if we get through to March with no judicial review, then we will be going ahead with the redevelopment plans, starting in May."
Meanwhile Bristol Rovers’ hopes of landing a new 21,000-seater stadium are heavily reliant on whether or not a supermarket chain can win a legal challenge against them going ahead with a new store, as the club needs funding from selling its existing ground to Sainsbury’s to help pay for the new £40m stadium on the northern edge of the city.
Bristol City has vetoed plans to move to a new stadium in favour of a £40m revamp of its current home at Ashton Gate. Bristol Sport, which owns the football club, wants to replace two of the existing stands to increase ground capacity from 21,500 to 27,000. As part of the redevelopment of Ashton Gate, the club intend to install the new seating in two stands, with the areas initially
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