Birmingham City Council approves whopping £100m Aston Villa stadium expansion plan

Aston Villa Football Club’s huge stadium expansion plan – worth £100m – has been approved by Birmingham City Council.

Permission has been granted by the city’s planning department for phase one of a major expansion and redevelopment of Villa Park.

The colossal construction will result in increasing the capacity of the stadium to over 50,000 which Villa bosses hope will enable the club to host international tournaments and events.

The new plans include the demolition of Villa’s current North Stand – built in 1897 – and replace it with a larger capacity facility that will include 7,400 seats.

The current Trinity Stand will be refurbished and enhanced during phase one of the expansion plans.

The club also hopes to look into improving the current public transport system around the B6 area which will make match days run smoother and faster for football fans and local residents.

Villa management is working alongside West Midlands Rail Executive and the West Midlands Combined Authority on a feasibility design study to work out what upgrades are needed and whether Witton Railway Station can meet the demands of the increased number of fans who will attend matches once the stadium expansion project is complete.

Christian Purslow, Aston Villa CEO, said: “This is great news firstly for our fans – many of whom are on a waiting list for season tickets; secondly for the Club itself – as our long-term competitive strategy depends on continued growth; and finally for our city and region – with the prospect of a redeveloped Villa Park driving economic regeneration in our local community and bringing back international football to Birmingham.”

Construction work on the stadium expansion will begin in late 2023, and developers are hoping to complete the building project by the end of 2025.