Manchester United are planning to build a new 100,000-seater stadium and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has suggested that taxpayers could help fund the £2 billion project
An impression by Foster + Partners of what Manchester United's new stadium could look like
Andy Burnham has been speaking about Manchester United's new stadium plans
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Andy Burnham has emphasised that "not a penny of public money" will be provided to build Manchester United's new stadium. Back in March, United revealed ambitious proposals for a cutting-edge 100,000-capacity stadium at a London event, with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe suggesting the scheme could be finished by 2030.
Ratcliffe suggested the possibility of taxpayer funding for the £2billion venture, arguing: "People in the north pay their taxes and there is an argument you could think about a more ambitious project in the north which would be fitting for England, for the Champions League final or the FA Cup final."
Burnham, Greater Manchester's mayor, has previously made clear that no public funding would be provided for the stadium itself, and he reinforced that position on The Added Time Podcast.
Nevertheless, a Mayoral Development Corporation has recently been formed for the regeneration scheme around the stadium, which will deliver massive economic advantages, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Burnham explained: "It's not about giving them money because we have a really clear principle here at the start of this journey with the Mayoral Development Corporation. Manchester United will be paying for the stadium. There will not be a penny of public money going into that.
"But we have absolutely a role to play in making everything around the stadium as good as it can be because of the economic benefit that brings. If you think about it, there is a train station behind the stand there and it's not been used for a number of years for safety reasons.
"Part of it would see that station relocated a little bit, maybe a bit nearer Lou Macari's chippy or somewhere near there, and that would then reopen and massively benefit existing communities, Gorst Hill, Stretford and the people who live there, so the public benefit of this would be massive.
"Thousands of new homes, thousands of new jobs, so it's much wider than the ground itself."
An impression by Foster + Partners of what Manchester United's new stadium could look like
Manchester United have hatched plans for a stunning new stadium
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The Mirror's sister title, the Manchester Evening News, reported that United and the city region share the ambition of securing major matches from the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2035 for the venue, with the showpiece final among their targets.
Burnham outlined the goal of hosting the 2035 World Cup final in Manchester, explaining: "I am closely involved to the point where we've just asked parliament to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation. So that is a vehicle, a legal entity, that will oversee the wider regeneration of the whole area.
"That is more my responsibility, the wider environment around any new stadium. It's a huge opportunity for us as a city and a region. If you think about that area, it's the area around the old Salford docks.
"You've got Media City on the other side. This could be a global location if we get it right. I know people here kind of struggle to see why it impacts life on this end of the M62 [Liverpool], but actually there are freight terminals behind the existing Old Trafford that send lots of trains through Manchester city centre.
"That is a major cause of the chaos on railways across the north because it causes blockages in Manchester. Therefore, every train coming across the country is often then late getting over to Liverpool.
"So it's a project that actually makes sense on loads of levels. It actually would lead to the freight tunnels being relocated to St Helens and therefore growth here [Liverpool].
"It's a major growth project for the whole of the north west. And the enticing prospect in my mind is if we really get it moving, I think there's a fairly high likelihood that we will be hosting the women's FIFA World Cup in 2035.
"Imagine a final at that new Old Trafford. It would be quite something, wouldn't it?"
The blueprint for the proposed ground has been put on hold while talks continue over purchasing the required territory.
Freightliner owns the railway depot that surrounds Old Trafford and securing this site remains vital to the scheme.
United remain confident of striking an agreement to purchase the land for their new stadium venture.
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