Update on Stockport County's stadium expansion plans
Stockport County could be set for a massive boost with the club and local councillors saying a date has been put forward to decide the expansion of Edgeley Park.
The football club announced plans last year to add an extra 7,400 seats to the ground in a move to bring the total capacity of the stadium to more than 18,000.
It comes at a time when the club is on the up and is currently pushing for a place in the Championship through the League One playoffs.
But before any work can begin at Edgeley Park, approval is needed from Stockport council's planning committee, a panel which is made up of 12 councillors.
In a major update, local Edgeley councillors and a Stockport County club official have said the application to expand the ground could be decided this summer.
Stockport County's non-executive chairman, Ken Knott, said he understands the application is due to be decided by the council's planning committee on July 3, with a recommendation of approval expected by planning officers.
Before that, the expansion is set to be discussed by councillors on Stockport council's central area committee on June 19, where they can ask questions and share any concerns or feedback on the application before the key July meeting.
The Edgeley Community Association (ECA), a political party with three councillors in Stockport, shared an update on Facebook also saying the stadium expansion plans are due to be decided on July 3.
Plans for the stadium are initially expected to focus on improvements and extra seating for the Danny Bergara Stand (north stand), and the construction of a new Railway End (east stand).
Longer term, the club is aiming to redevelop the Together Stand (south stand) to increase its capacity to around 5,500, and an extension to the western end of the Danny Bergara Stand, increasing the overall number of seats.
"We're not going to do all of that at once, we need to gain more promotions and be satisfied that we'll be able to fill an expanded stadium, and drive the revenues to support the financing of it," Ken Knott said.
"We've missed the window of doing anything in this close season, because even if we get the consent on July 3, we won't be able to mobilise and get contractors organised to get it going and finished before the start of next season, it'll be the end of the following season before any works commence."
He added that the club's plan for promotion to the Championship are a driver of the expansion plans.
"What comes with that [promotion] is much larger away support coming to Edgeley Park, because there are some big teams up in the Championship.
"A combination of that and hopefully more demand from fans within Stockport will mean we'll be able to sustain a strong business case to get on with the investment and carry on with the work."
During a Stockport council meeting in April, Cllr Matt Wynne, leader of the ECA, raised concerns about the time it was taking to progress the stadium expansion plans.
He said the issue had been left in "limbo" between the club and council, and was delaying tackling what one Edgeley resident described as "persistent" parking issues around the stadium on matchdays.
The ECA wrote on Facebook on May 8: "We are writing to inform you that the impasse between the council and football club on final matters around the scheduling of level of contributions [for addressing matchday parking and local infrastructure upgrades] have been resolved and the planning application looks to be coming to Central Area Committee for consultation on June 19, with the application then progressing to Planning and Highways Committee for determination on July 3, 2025.
"We have asked if an extraordinary Area Committee meeting can be arranged to hear it sooner but we suspect it relies on statutory consultees (who have had to be re-consulted) returning their views promptly.
"We have done everything we can to get this heard as soon as possible using the soft power available, we are hearing residents loud and clear on matchday parking issues."
Meeting agendas will be confirmed five days before the meeting and posted on Stockport Council's website.
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