Aston Villa were granted planning permission last year for a complete rebuild of the North Stand which would have raised the ground’s capacity from the current 42,600 to beyond 50,000.
However, those plans, which were confirmed earlier this month as being on hold for “re-evaluation,” appear to be completely off the table because to concerns about rising prices and transportation challenges,Reported by expressnews.
Villa aim to add up to 3,000 seats by modifying the stadium’s existing seating structure starting next summer, according to a recent meeting of the club’s fan advisory board (FAB).
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The move appears to be the culmination of a significant shift in approach, with Villa previously being completely committed to substantial reconstruction that would have seen the North Stand, the club’s oldest extant stand built in the 1970s, removed next summer and rebuilt over the course of two seasons.
Chris Heck, the club’s new president of football operations who came over in May, expressed his reservations earlier this month about the capacity being cut to roughly 34,000 while the maintenance was being done.
The club now has more than 30,000 names on a season ticket waiting list, but the FAB meeting was told that one of the main reasons for canceling the North Stand redevelopment is that the club is currently failing to sell out Premier League matches, with an average of 200 tickets remaining unsold for each.
It was also confirmed Villa, named as one of the 10 host venues for Euro 2028, are in contact with the FA and Uefa as to how those plans will now be impacted.
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