Manchester United aim to submit new stadium plans within 18 months
Manchester United expect to submit a formal planning application for their proposed £2bn stadium within the next 18 months as they push forward with plans to replace Old Trafford.
The 20-time English champions unveiled their initial vision for a world-class venue last March.
Collette Roche, the chief operating officer leading the development, provided a timeline update at a property trade show in Cannes.
She confirmed that securing the necessary land should be completed shortly, representing a major step forward for the project.
“The plan would be that within the next couple of months we should be there or thereabouts on the land assembly which will be an important milestone.”
Regeneration and logistical hurdles
The detailed design phase for the new ground is expected to take seven months to complete once commenced.
Extensive discussions are currently ongoing with the local council regarding broader regeneration efforts and residential housing.
However, the Premier League giants have faced logistical hurdles, notably negotiations with Freightliner over a terminal situated in the development path.
“We’re spending a lot of time with the local council to say what’s your ambition, how many houses, where’s the best place to put them so hopefully by the time we get to the planning application in 12-18 months time we won’t be starting from fresh.”
Ratcliffe’s vision for the North
The club is currently in the process of evaluating construction firms capable of undertaking the massive infrastructure project.
Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains the driving force behind the ambitious rebuild.
The INEOS billionaire has consistently advocated for creating a highly-modern arena to rival London’s major sporting venues.
“There’s a very good case, in my view, for having a stadium of the North, which would serve the northern part of the country in that arena of football.”
He highlighted the historical dominance of the North West in European competition to justify the significant regional investment.
“If you look at the number of Champions League the North West has won, it’s 10, whereas London has won two, yet everybody from the North has to get down to London to watch a big football match.”
