Castleford Tigers ground revamp set for approval

An artist's impression shows how the revamped stadium may look

Plans for a major upgrade of Castleford Tigers’ ageing Wheldon Road ground have been recommended for approval.

Improvements to the stadium would mean the club could meet official Super League standards.

A new employment site, which would fund the stadium redevelopment and create more than 2,000 jobs, could also be approved by councillors next week.

The club said it was "critically important" the scheme gets the green light.

Under the proposals, the club’s east stand would be demolished and replaced with a new all-seater stand, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The overall capacity of the ground would be slightly reduced to 10,020, down from its current space for 12,000 spectators.

The development would include 16 corporate hospitality boxes and a banqueting suite.

A new club shop, gym, physiotherapy facilities and modern changing rooms for players and officials are also planned, alongside a new match day fan zone area and artificial floodlit training pitch.

The club has abandoned its previous plan to move away from its current home ground

The stadium revamp would be funded by the creation of a new employment and logistics site next to Junction 32 of the M62.

Axiom Yorkshire said it would create more than 1,830 permanent full-time jobs in Castleford, with a further 365 "spin-off" roles created within the Wakefield Council area.

The company would contribute £12.2m towards the stadium improvements if the schemes were given the green light.

A £2m contribution towards the stadium upgrade would also come from Wakefield Council’s sports resilience fund.

Both applications are to be considered by the council’s planning and highways committee on February 15.

The schemes have received more than 2,000 comments of support and a petition in favour signed by 550 fans.

'Critically important'

Commenting on the proposals, Castleford Tigers managing director Mark Grattan said: “Everyone knows how important the club is to the town and we take seriously our responsibility to maintain professional rugby in Castleford.

“However, it is no secret that the available money within the sport is diminishing.

“It is critically important that we secure approval for both the planning application for the Wheldon Road improvements and the Axiom proposals which pay for them.”

The club previously held ambitions to leave Wheldon Road and move to a newly built stadium, with Wakefield Council having approved two separate schemes in 2011 and 2015.

Planning permission lapsed without any construction work taking place on either occasion, however.

In 2019, renewed planning consent was given for the second scheme, which would have seen the stadium built on the Junction 32 land where the new employment site is now proposed, but again it failed to come to fruition.

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