Edgbaston plans 'not affected' by Birmingham City Council cash crisis

Edgbaston Stadium said it is in contact with the council about future projects

Edgbaston bosses say Birmingham City Council's "bankruptcy" will have no impact on stadium improvement plans.

The authority has filed a section 114 order which means it must halt all spending other than services it has to provide by law.

Earlier this year, it was asked to consider the principle of a £32m loan for works at Edgbaston Stadium.

An Edgbaston spokesperson said there was "no impact on our existing contractual arrangements".

Hosting cricket events at Edgbaston contributed £68m to the city's economy in 2019

On Tuesday, the government announced emergency measures to help run the council during its financial crisis.

The following day council officers issued further urgent warnings over the authority's delay over a deal to deal with equal pay liabilities.

In April, the council said the stadium loan would fund the rebuilding of the Raglan and Priory Stands along with the addition of new facilities, including a hotel, and related amenities.

In a report to its cabinet, it said hosting Test matches, county cricket, The Hundred and T20 Finals Day, attracted 400,000 visitors and contributed £68m to the city's economy in 2019.

The Labour-run council needs to settle a £760m bill for equal pay claims.

The authority, which faces an immediate budget shortfall of £87m this year, has also blamed the implementation of its Oracle IT system for its desperate situation.

It had stopped non-essential spending in July.

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Following the notice, the authority said all new spending, with the exception of protecting vulnerable people and statutory services, must stop immediately and a meeting will be held on 25 September to outline its financial plan.

A spokesperson for Edgbaston Stadium said: "There is no impact on our existing contractual arrangements and we are in discussions about future projects."