Villa reveal transport plan for stadium expansion

The North Stand at Villa Park will be expanded under the new plans

Aston Villa has outlined how it intends to improve matchday travel and tackle "disruption" amid plans to expand their stadium.

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 by Birmingham City Council, the football club would "adapt, reuse and expand" the existing stand rather than demolish it.

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", the club said.

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 new North Stand expansion is required due to Birmingham being named as a host city for the Euros in 2028

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 parking enforcement, improved bus services and additional, dedicated club coach and bus routes.

The club said, as part of the hard measures, it would increase cycle parking and facilities, improve navigation for pedestrians and create semi-permanent barriers at Aston Station

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 North Stand proposals will be considered at a planning committee meeting on Thursday, August 28.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.