Leeds United’s plans to increase the capacity of Elland Road up to 56,500 are beginning to take shape.
The newly promoted Championship side, who will be returning to the Premier League in 2025-26, were given the green light by Leeds City Council to add nearly 20,000 seats to Elland Road.
The Athletic has seen the planned outline — which will be submitted as a hybrid planning application for Leeds’ Elland Road redevelopment — and can reveal that work is set to begin in September.
Although the club were given planning permission to increase Elland Road to a capacity of up to 56,500 people, the document clarifies that the maximum capacity will be 53,000.
This means, upon completion, that Leeds United will be able to host more supporters than Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock (52,888) and Newcastle United’s St James’ Park (52,305).
KSS, the architects overseeing the Elland Road development, were behind the Main Stand expansion at Anfield, Liverpool’s stadium, as well as Leicester City’s state-of-the-art training facility.
The Athletic has analysed their expansion plans, of which the North Stand is currently at an outline stage, and has broken down what you need to know…
What has already been announced?
On April 23, Leeds City Council approved two key recommendations to ensure the expansion plans can become a reality.
The first recommendation they signed off on will see them negotiate the sale of the council-owned land behind Elland Road’s Don Revie (North) and John Charles (West) stands.
This means Leeds United can now buy the land from the council at a price that is independently valued and one that will reflect the going market price.
A rendering of what the newly redeveloped Elland Road could look like (Leeds United)
The second recommendation approved by the council will see them enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU), a non-binding agreement between two or more parties, to collaborate with the Lowy Family Group (LFG), the club’s development partner.
This agreement between the council and LFG enables them to work together on a regeneration strategy for the council-owned land around Elland Road, which includes the park and ride next to Fullerton Park, Lowfields Road and the car parks on either side of Wesley Street.
What is a hybrid planning application?
This is where Leeds United may seek full planning permission for one part of the Elland Road redevelopment, while outlining planning permission for another part of the same site under the same application.
The plan is for Leeds to do this, seeking full planning permission for the West Stand and outlining their plans for the North Stand, with a detailed design to be submitted at a later date.
They are common when it comes to major developments as it enables work to begin sooner on one phase of the site before the final plans for the other part of the site are known.
How much new seating will be added to the West Stand and North Stand?
The plans for the West Stand are set to see it expanded from 8,000 to 17,750, while the North Stand — if they settle on the plans detailed in their outline — is due to be increased from 10,401 to 15,300.
What is the plan for rebuilding the West Stand?
The proposed reconstruction of the West Stand will see it extend into Fullerton Car Park and is going to include, as the expansion plans document states, a “broader range of facilities and experiences for both matchday and non-matchday use”.
As part of the plans, phase one will see the construction of new tiers, a new roof and internal spaces before the north-west corner is demolished, with the erection of a new facade at the same time.
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The builders will then demolish and fit out the West and South-West corners, along with the construction of the roof, before works are carried out to the retained lower tier of the West Stand and the North-West corner.
The document notes that it “will be similar in scale to the existing East Stand”, which has an existing capacity of 14,900, and it will have three tiers.
When will construction begin and when will it open?
Advanced site works are set to begin in September, but the West Stand construction is not expected to begin until May 2026 and is due to last until the fourth quarter of 2028.
What about the North Stand? How will they construct that?
The construction plans for the North Stand are yet to be finalised and are still in an outline stage, which means how they appear in their plans is not what it may look like once the redevelopment has been completed.
The hybrid planning application notes that the North Stand forms phase two of the redevelopment plans and is due to run in parallel with the West Stand construction, although it will not be completed until two years after the West Stand.
As part of the hybrid plans, which are not final, the North Stand will retain its lower tier, as well as see a new upper tier constructed along with internal spaces.
The new West Stand will be similar in scale to the current East Stand (George Wood/Getty Images)
When will the full renovation be completed?
The plans highlight that the full renovation will not be ready until the fourth quarter (October to December) of 2030, which is when the North Stand is due to open. This is, of course, dependent on the eventual final design of the North Stand.
A phased approach for both stands is being adopted to ensure Elland Road can continue to operate with minimal disruption and no loss of seating capacity during the redevelopment.
What are their plans for inside the ground?
As with many stadium redevelopments, you can expect there to be new hospitality areas — and Elland Road is no different. Early renderings suggest they will offer a wider range of food and drink than currently available in Elland Road.
The plan is to also create a “diverse range of spaces and experiences” that will “encourage early arrivals and extended stays”, while also creating the opportunity for the facilities to be used on non-matchdays.
Is there anything else I need to know?
Leeds United are exploring the possibility of also making improvements to the South Stand, which could result in an increase in general admission. These plans, however, do not appear in the outline.
A consultation process for the South Stand has begun, with the club seeking feedback from supporters.
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The plans also suggests that the redevelopment will ensure Elland Road is “capable of hosting tournaments for sustained growth”, pointing to the potential of international matches for both the men’s and women’s England teams.
Other events include FIFA and UEFA tournaments, international Rugby League fixtures, boxing matches, concerts and festivals.
A social and economic section in the document notes that “120 to 205 new permanent jobs” at the club and its foundation will be created as a result of the redevelopment, while it is predicted two million visitors will attend Elland Road every year, up from 1.4million.
The overall gross value added estimate predicts between £22million to £29m ($29.3m to $38.6m) as a result of direct economic benefits, indirect tourism benefits and indirect supply chain and induced benefits.
(Top photo: Leeds United)
