Leicester City stadium expansion set for council approval

Leicester City is seeking to expand the capacity of the King Power Stadium to 40,000

Councillors are set to approve plans for Leicester City to expand the King Power Stadium by 8,000 seats.

The club applied for planning permission from Leicester City Council in October after a public consultation.

It also wants to build a new hotel and business centre, a flagship fan store, an events arena and residential flats.

The council's planning committee is set to vote on the plans on 14 August but officers have recommended they approve the designs.

Leicester City want to expand the capacity of their ground to 40,000 seats, making it the 10th largest among current Premier League sides.

The club said there was an "overwhelmingly positive" response to their consultation

The club said more than 1,000 jobs would be created during the construction period, with another 1,000 permanent positions across facilities on the site.

Council documents show that planning officers have recommended that the committee members vote to approve the plans.

If approved, the Premier League club will have to set out more specific plans and agree a financial deal with the local authority.

The contributions will go towards the improvement and accessibility of The Raw Dykes Scheduled Ancient Monument, affordable housing as well as traffic and transport provision.

Since revealing the plans, the club has purchased the site previously owned by energy company E.On on Raw Dykes Road close to the stadium.

The club said that site does not form part of the current application, but is essentially an additional asset for any future developments.

Other developments for the area are also being planned