Newcastle to snub new stadium and expand St James’ Park in ‘one of most ambitious rebuilds seen in UK’
NEWCASTLE are set to extend their stay at St James’ Park after snubbing plans for a new stadium.
The club’s Saudi ownership had been weighing up whether to build a new ground or undertake the costly renovations to bring St James’ to modern standards.
But The Telegraph have reported today that the club plan to expand St James’ Park rather than move in “one of the most extensive ambitious rebuilds seen in UK”.
That follows an “extensive” six month feasibility study carried out by the club’s ownership to see if plans to expand the ground were achievable.
The club will have to overcome significant obstacles if they are to expand their iconic home.
The current stadium borders on listed Georgian houses which can’t be knocked down to make way for a burgeoning ground.
Likewise, the club have previously purchased land behind the Gallowgate End to make way for a fanzone, but this has its own complications.
That land has a road leading to a busy hospital running by it and also has part of Newcastle’s underground service underneath it – making laying new foundations there tricky.
Before the current plans to expand are green lit, the club would like to discuss extending their lease at the stadium, which has 70 years left to run.
The Telegraph have said that talks between the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and Newcastle City Council will be “delicate”.
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The club had been considering relocating to the Metro Radio Arena on the banks of the River Tyne but that land has now been sold to build housing.
The club also considered rebuilding the ground next to its current site in Leazes Park.
The plan is to build a multipurpose arena that could also be used for events and concerts.
Despite the feasibility study, works are not expected to be carried out before the end of the year and relevant stakeholders still need to agree to the project.
There remains a slim possibility that the club may still move their stadium if PIF cannot find an agreement on extending their lease with the council.
The renovation is complicated by the fact that St James’ Park is set to be used for the 2028 European Championships hosted by England, Scotland and Ireland.