Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow has provided an update on the redevelopment of Villa Park and encouraged supporters to participate in the live public consultation process.
The club has now launched a pre-application planning consultation on the first phase of its long-term vision for Villa Park and the surrounding area.
The ambitious plans will pave the way to create a world-class sporting venue and also set out the club’s commitment to the local community, creating a destination that can be enjoyed all-year round.
The first phase of the plans includes a brand-new North Stand which will see capacity for the stadium increase to over 50,000.
It will also see the introduction of Villa Live, a multi-purpose central commercial destination venue and community space, while the area around the new North Stand and along Witton Lane will also be transformed to create a dynamic public space which can be enjoyed by all.
Mr Purslow sat down with VillaTV to discuss the expansion of Villa Park and encourage fans, as well as the wider Birmingham community, to take part in the public consultation period.
“We’ve made great strides on designs for the redevelopment of Villa Park,” he said.
“As I explained in my last interview, the redevelopment of the stadium itself falls into three parts.
“An entirely new North Stand replacing the current one, which dates from the 1970s, some significant upgrades to the Trinity Road Stand, particularly in hospitality, and then a new multi-use building in the current North Stand car park.
“This will enable us to offer much enhancement to a range of our current offerings, whether that’s retail or café, bar and restaurant but, most importantly, a destination for our fans, not just on matchday.”
Villa’s CEO added: “The principle purpose of me communicating with our fans today, and indeed to the wider community in B6, in Birmingham, is to announce the launch of formal public consultation.
“That is the process whereby in a planning application, affected parties, be they people in the local community or people who use our facilities frequently, get to have their say.
“So, I encourage everybody to register with our website and participate in the process of giving your feedback, giving your input, so that by the time we actually submit our planning application later this summer, all of those parties have had a chance to input.
“We value that very highly.”
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