MUFC £30m stadium gets the go-ahead

by Michael Gordon



Manchester United Football Club received planning permission for a £30 million expansion plan last week which will make Old Trafford the largest club stadium in Britain.

The ambitious scheme has received heavy local objection, with local residents claiming the expansion programme clearly breaches the amenity of the area for local residents.

The extension plans, which were approved at the club's last AGM, will go out to tender in the next couple of weeks. Hilstone Lauries was contract manager on all previous construction work at the stadium, and sources have tipped them as preferred for the expansion programme. The construction work is being planned to ensure that disruption is minimised. The existing stadium capacity is unlikely to be reduced during the course of the project.

George Johnstone, group property manager, said: "It will be put out to tender by our project managers, Hudson Waters. Timing is uncertain yet, the planning process is not finalised. We are looking for an additional tier at the east and west ends of the stadium.

"We are building behind and over the existing stand during the season, and then removing the old roof during the closed season and completing the tiers. Work should start on the east end in spring next year, through the 1999/2000 phase, and completed for the start of the season in 2000/2001."