Club also closes on deal to acquire land for new stadium site

Old Trafford Fosters 4

Foster + Partners’ proposed stadium would sit at the centre of a 15,000-home regeneration scheme which is also being masterplanned by the practice

Manchester United will reveal its vision for a 370-acre regeneration project on land surrounding its proposed new Old Trafford stadium next month.

The club has also secured the majority of the land required to build the 100,000-seat Foster + Partners-designed stadium, which would be the biggest sporting arena in the UK.

Industrial land around the proposed site would be transformed into a huge mixed-use neighbourhood comprising around 15,000 homes under plans set out by the club last year.

Foster + Partners is also working on the regeneration masterplan alongside its plans for the new stadium, while Allies & Morrison is working on a masterplan for 10,000 homes on land owned by Trafford council around the old stadium.

The Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation will publish further details of the masterplan on 9 July, along with a public consultation timeline and more details about the stadium site itself.

Foster + Partners set out its proposals for the ground in March last year, unveiling plans for a seating bowl positioned beneath a giant umbrella-like canopy supported by three 200m-tall spires inspired by the devil’s trident on the Manchester United crest.

But in September the Atlantic reported that the canopy could be scrapped because Freightliner, the company which owns land west of the existing Old Trafford ground over which the footprint of the proposed canopy would extend, had increased its asking price for the land.

trafford

Plans for the stadium’s canopy have been put in doubt by the cost of land needed to build it, according to reports

Freightliner was reported to be asking for £400m for the land, eight times the £50m price initially expected by Manchester United.

The club said it has now secured “the majority” of the 25 acres of land required to build the stadium from industrial space provider Indurent.

Collette Roche, chief executive of Manchester United’s New Stadium Development, said the acquisition “highlights the progress we’re making towards a world-class new home for Manchester United  and represents a significant milestone as we move into the next phase of development.”

She added: “Being able to build so close to Old Trafford allows us to preserve the heritage, traditions and rituals that are so important to our fans. We are committed to building a world-class stadium with our supporters, not just for them, with atmosphere, affordability and accessibility at the heart of our thinking.

“This is a generational opportunity that is fully aligned with both local and national growth ambitions. Securing the right land for our new home has been absolutely critical, and the land we’ve acquired gives us the stage to deliver a truly world-class stadium that honours our past and is ready for our future.”

Topics