English Premier League side Manchester United are is a step closer to deciding whether to redevelop its current Old Trafford stadium to increase capacity to 87,000 or build a new ground which could hold 100,000 fans. A recent survey found a majority of United fans favour a new stadium rather than the redevelopment of Old Trafford.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force (OTRTF) – which includes the former United defender Gary Neville, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe among its membership – has now completed its initial feasibility work. An “Options Report” has been submitted by the OTRTF to executive bodies at Manchester United, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Trafford Borough Council.
The OTRTF says this sets out “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the historic industrial engine room of Greater Manchester into a vibrant new driver of growth and innovation in sports, entertainment, business, and education”. Both options of either redevelopment or a stadium rebuild remain under consideration, with the club set to decide on the preferred approach ahead of this summer.
The development of a world-class stadium would, according to the report, act as a catalyst for wider regeneration of a “re-energised Trafford Park”. Initial findings into the proposals – which relate to potential development of a 100,000-capacity stadium, plus new mixed-use developments, such as residential, retail, leisure, business – suggest they could deliver an extra £7.3bn gross value added to the UK economy, with more than 90,000 employment opportunities.
Old Trafford’s rebuild as a new 100,000-seater stadium and the wider regeneration of the local area could deliver an extra £7.3bn to the UK economy and bring more than 90,000 employment opportunities, according to the latest task force report.
