Concerns over Stockport County stadium expansion
Concerns have been raised over an "impasse" with Stockport County's plans to expand Edgeley Park.
The League One club revealed plans last year to add an extra 7,000 seats to the ground, bringing the total capacity to more than 18,000.
A planning application for the work landed at Stockport council in June 2024, and according to the town hall's website the deadline for this to be decided was last September.
But nearly 12 months since the plans were submitted, a councillor has asked why the application has not yet been heard by the town hall's planning committee.
The question came up during a council meeting at Stockport town hall on 3 April, where an Edgeley resident spoke about "persistent" parking issues around the stadium on match days, and not being allowed to have visitor permits on Clwyd Avenue based near the ground.
A parking permit scheme is in place around the stadium on match days.
But the resident speaking at the April 3 meeting added that action to improve the parking situation "seem to be stalled due to the Edgeley Park planning application."
Cllr Matt Wynne, leader of the Edgeley Community Association, said the issue has locals "prevented from having visitors when County are playing at home," as well not being "able to park on their own street" with "junctions being blocked off."
Cllr Wynne explained that the issue was down to a sealed order on parking, which was set up in the early part of the last decade, which "prevents visitor permits being issued."
This was agreed during a time when Stockport County's regular attendances at Edgeley Park were lower than they are now, the councillor said.
He added that the council's highways department is "unwilling to review the sealed order due to the planning application" over the stadium's expansion.
"We're in this limbo now where there's an impasse between the club and the council on getting this planning application heard.
"I urge those with responsibility in the council to try and get this planning application heard as soon as possible.
"It looks good to go from what we can see as the ward councillors, obviously there's lots of technical things to sort out before it can be heard, but each passing home game that goes by Edgeley residents are suffering."
A Stockport council spokesperson said: "Officers continue to review the planning application proposing expansion of Edgeley Park and are working with the club to bring the application forward to Central Area Committee as soon as it is ready to be considered.
"The application would then be placed on the Planning and Highways Committee agenda for determination."
Stockport County was approached for comment.
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