Emirates Old Trafford: New stand to increase Lancashire cricket ground's capacity

The club hope the new stand will be built in time for the 2023 Ashes series

Plans to create the largest cricket venue outside of London have been approved by councillors.

Trafford Council's planning committee voted unanimously to approve the building of a new 1,025-seat stand to be built at Lancashire County Cricket Club's Emirates Old Trafford ground.

The expansion plans will also see the ground's hotel extended and a heritage centre and new club shop built.

The club hope work will be completed in time for the 2023 Ashes series.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the new stand, which will replace the Red Rose Suite, will increase the capacity to 26,700.

It will make it England's third-largest cricket venue, behind Lord's and The Oval in London.

The stand is the latest part of the club's £60m redevelopment of the ground

The plan replaces one previously approved by Trafford Council in 2019, which would have seen the capacity increase to 29,500.

Lancashire's chief executive Daniel Gidney said the plan was part of the "decade-long £60m redevelopment of the ground", which was "undertaken so that the club could continue to host major competitions, matches and events".

Trafford Council leader Andrew Western said the project would make the ground "a truly spectacular sporting arena and one of the biggest in the country".