Edgbaston set for major £18 million development
A new on-site hotel and spectator stand are included in the plans
Last updated 16th Apr 2024
Edgbaston Stadium has received a major funding boost in its bid to develop an on-site hotel and new spectator stand.
The proposed hotel would include a rooftop terrace, pitch-view rooms with balconies and other rooms that can be converted into hospitality boxes.
Meanwhile the redeveloped stand – which would have the same capacity as the old Raglan and Priory stands – would include a new concourse with enhanced food and drink options, plus improved facilities for disabled spectators.
A loan facility of up to £18 million pounds has now been approved by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which will cover a substantial part of the Club’s proposals.
It paves the way for Edgbaston to work with other partners to secure remaining funding with a view for construction to begin – subject to planning approval – in September 2025.
Consultations with residents and Warwickshire Members will take place over the next six months ahead of a proposed planning application being submitted in the autumn.
If granted, the project is expected to be finished by Spring 2027 with the hotel opening in time for that year’s men’s Ashes Test Match against Australia.
Stuart Cain, Edgbaston Chief Executive, said: “Getting the funding in place is crucial.
“We’re grateful to WMCA for making this contribution and backing our ambition to continue bringing major economic and social benefits to the region through international sport.”
“Cricket will always stay at the heart of our thinking, but it’s important we develop a stadium that brings new jobs to this part of the city and creates wider community opportunities through the hotel and an expanded conferencing and events business that sits alongside world class sport,” he added.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “The upgrade plans for Edgbaston Stadium will take a globally recognised cricket stage and provide it with the world class facilities it needs to continue thriving in the future
“That’s important because Edgbaston attracts tens of thousands of fans to our region from around the world, boosting our economy and especially our hospitality sector.”
The WMCA says it’s expected that the project will create more than 376 jobs during the construction period and another 100 post completion, adding to the 1,000 jobs the stadium already supports locally.
It adds the project is the latest development in the Edgbaston Masterplan to transform the stadium into a multi-use sports, residential, commercial, and community complex.