Aston Villa has outlined how it intends to improve matchday travel and tackle “disruption” amid stadium expansion plans.
The club’s proposal to add nearly 6,000 seats to the North Stand, which has been recommended for approval, would take the stadium’s capacity to almost 49,000.
If the plans are given the green light next week, the football club would “adapt, reuse and expand” the existing stand rather than demolish it.
A visualisation of the redevelopment of the North Stand in Villa Park, Birminghamplaceholder image
A visualisation of the redevelopment of the North Stand in Villa Park, Birmingham | Grimshaw Architects/Aston Villa Football Club/LDRS
Along with the new club shop and The Warehouse, a live entertainment venue due to open by December 2025, the redevelopment of the stand would help “modernise the stadium’s surroundings”.
A council report said the North Stand plans would complete a vision “that ensures Villa Park is not only a top-tier football stadium but also a year-round destination for fans and the local community”.
But it acknowledged that movement of people travelling to and leaving the stadium could cause “disruption” on a matchday.
The report said the club was committed to providing a “suite of measures” as part of the North Stand planning application to address the issue.
They included both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ transport measures aimed at reducing dependency on cars and managing the increased stadium capacity.
Among the ‘soft’ measures were improved off-site, off-street parking; better CPZ enforcement; improved bus services; and additional dedicated club coach and bus routes.
A taxi pick-up area and post-match catering/entertainment offers were also included within the measures.
A visualisation of what the redevelopment of Villa Park's North Stand could look like in Birminghamplaceholder image
A visualisation of what the redevelopment of Villa Park's North Stand could look like in Birmingham | Grimshaw Architects/Aston Villa Football Club/LDRS
Another ‘soft measure’ was improvements to rail services, with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker recently confirming funding had been secured to deliver improvements at nearby Witton Station.
The following hard measures would also be implemented:
Increased cycle parking and facilities
Extension of pedestrian wayfinding
Semi-permanent barriers at Aston Station
Public realm improvements
The council report said the local community, supporters and the club themselves “recognise the need and desire” for improvements around match day ‘movements’ around Villa Park.
“This approach is intended to deliver improvements in addressing matchday travel to, from and around the site,” it said.
It said the predicted total number of journeys made by car would be lower in future due to the measures.
The report said the impact of the proposed stadium capacity ‘uplift’ would be “offset by an increase in hospitality and the implementation of The Warehouse”.
The expansion of the North Stand is also required due to Birmingham being named as a host city for the Euros in 2028.
The tournament is set to take place at several stadiums across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in three years’ time, with Villa Park one of the planned venues.
The North Stand proposals will be considered at a planning committee meeting on Thursday, August 28.
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