Leeds City Council is due to hold a planning meeting next week
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
06:00, 23 Oct 2025
A general view of Elland Road
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A general view of Elland Road(Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Leeds United are seeking assurances from Leeds City Council (LCC) over their proposals to expand Elland Road amid fears of a delay due to transport planning issues.
As per council documents, there are concerns that significant setbacks in approval could delay the start of works beyond "another full football season", and thus past the initial forecast start date outlined for May 2026.
It's not clear whether this refers to the end of the current 2025/26 Premier League season - which finishes on May 24 - or the end of the 2026/27 campaign. Leeds United formally submitted their hybrid planning application in July.
At present, the council's vote on whether to accept or reject the application is due to take place on November 27, which is 20 weeks after it was submitted - and beyond the expected approximate timeline of 13 weeks.
The council’s planning committee is due to convene a meeting next week, on October 30, to discuss the application, which proposes for stadium capacity to rise to 53,000. This particular City Plans Panel meeting will not determine whether to approve or refuse the application.
It will instead assess a report submitted by LCC’s Principal Planner, Matthew Walker, to review various matters, including transport. Concerns have been raised about the submitted Travel Plan, with a revised framework requested.
Councillors and local residents have frequently raised concerns about the inevitable increased footfall and traffic in the Elland Road area on matchdays as a result of the proposed expansion. Leeds United chiefs have previously outlined that there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution but have recognised the importance of the issue.
The club are looking to promote the use of public transport and reduce car usage by match-goers from 65% to 51% by the end of Phase 2 works, when the North Stand expansion would be completed. It also pledged that there would be no additional on-street parking.
An initial review of the application's transport assessment found a “need for further and additional data to be provided, so a complete and credible base case on which to move forwards could be established” and meanwhile concluded that the proposed Travel Plan be revised.
In July, Active Travel England submitted a deferral - essentially a holding objection - to the plans. And then in August, National Highways submitted a letter stating plans should not be approved until the club had given more detail on traffic provisions.
Since then, both bodies, Leeds United and LCC have been in further engagement over the concerns, and a revised Travel Plan is being worked on. Meanwhile, an updated travel assessment was submitted on October 4.
The report underlines that all parties are committed to providing a safer matchday experience with less congestion and travel disruption.
However, Leeds United, while responding positively to the feedback, are seeking certainty around the expansion proposals for forward-planning purposes. There are fears that the commencement of works could be delayed beyond 'another full football season' and the initial forecast start date.
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An artist's impression of the new-look Elland Road. Image: Leeds United FC
The report for next week's meeting underlines that the proposed demolition and rebuild work “requires significant levels of planning and coordination to avoid any injection of delay - which may result in waiting another full football season to be able to commence works beyond the anticipated start date”.
The main body of construction is being targeted for summer and international breaks periods to reduce the likelihood of current seat capacity being compromised. The initial forecast completion date of the entire project has been outlined as late 2030.
Council documents state that revisions of the Travel Plan will “take time to thoroughly assess” and that “it is necessary these be considered fully by a number of external bodies” within an appropriate period.
Nevertheless, the council anticipates that the relevant updated documents will be ready for next week’s meeting, although sufficient time is still needed for assessment and public consultation feedback.
The report encourages the council to consider the broad scope of all matters relating to the proposals, not just transport and travel. There has been general widespread support from councillors for the plans outside of transport topics, with many seeing the proposals as beneficial for the city.
Leeds United have meanwhile changed architects for the expansion project, though such moves within the stadia-building industry are not uncommon, and design blueprints remain unaltered.
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