Edgbaston £32m rebuild plan

Edgbaston Stadium £32m bid to rebuild two stands and add hotel

Tom Cramp - Local Democracy Reporter | Thursday 20th April 2023 9:07am

Ambitious plans to rebuild two of Edgbaston Stadium's oldest stands will be discussed next week as the venue applies for a £32 million loan from Birmingham City Council.

The historic cricket ground wants to increase capacity by hundreds and add a 145-room hotel in a bid to bolster its position as the UK's best cricket venue outside of London.

The stadium’s latest phase of development will see the Raglan and Priory stands reborn with 300 extra seats, new toilets, and improved matchday food and drink options. The integrated hotel spread over four floors will have 145 rooms, 54 of which will be pitch-facing, and a rooftop bar and restaurant that can be used by guests while a match is on.

A new video screen and scoreboard in between the West Stand and the new stand is also proposed, as well as learning and training hubs inside the stadium intended to boost employment and skills for the community.

Edgbaston is the home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club and is one of the venues set to host the highly anticipated 2023 Ashes series in June and July. It also hosts regular test matches, county cricket, The Hundred which starts again in August, and T20 Finals Day.

Council documents claim Edgbaston attracted 400,000 visitors and contributed £68 million to the city's economy in 2019. This is expected to increase with the aforementioned competitions and those further ahead such as the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup and the 2030 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

The stadium has already undergone sweeping changes in recent years split into three phases. A huge rebuild increased stadium capacity to 25,000 in 2011 (Phase 1), and 375 apartments are currently being built right next door at the junction between Edgbaston Road and Pershore Road, expected to be finished by October 2023 (Phase 2).

The third phase is set to be discussed by councillors next Tuesday (April 25) with an estimated total cost of £42 million. The council loan of £32 million would fund the majority of the works but is first subject to a 'Green Book' Appraisal, an appraisal guidance system issued by the Treasury, as well as successful planning permission.

Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Major sporting events provide a huge boost to the Birmingham economy, as we have seen from the likes of the Commonwealth Games, World Indoor Athletics Championships and the annual programme of fixtures hosted at venues across the city such as Edgbaston Stadium.

“Edgbaston is now widely considered to be the country’s best cricket venue outside of London, but competition for big matches and major events is fierce and we must stay ahead of the competition.

“That’s why further development is essential to grow the economic impact and sporting reputation of the city and strengthen the financial base of the Cricket Club – we are looking at the provision of a loan as one way in which this could be achieved.”

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