£200m Old Trafford cricket ground scheme unveiled

Lancashire County Cricket Club has unveiled plans for its 50-acre mixed use redevelopment of Old Trafford cricket ground and surrounding area.

The club has lodged the proposals in a joint venture with Trafford Council, Ask Developments, Tesco and the neighbouring Stretford High School. Plans include 750,000 sq ft of new development in Old Trafford with a potential end value of £200m, creating more than 2,000 new jobs.

Business, residential, retail and leisure space form the heart of redevelopment in the surrounding area, with Trafford Council considering options for the listed Trafford Town Hall as part of the regeneration scheme.

Planning for the first phase of the new stadium development will be submitted immediately with work starting potentially early next year.

Designed by architects BDP, two new grandstands will ensure a capacity of 15,000 can extend eventually to 25,000 with temporary seating.

Redevelopment also includes a re-orientation of the wicket to resolve sunlight issues, which have affected players in the past. The new square will take 18 months to bed in and also be larger in size – allowing for five new wickets to be constructed – giving Lancashire County Cricket Club the ability to bid for international matches.

These new facilities will ensure that Old Trafford regains its place on the International Test Match circuit in time for the 2013 Ashes Test.

Jim Cumbes, LCCC chief executive, added: "Together with our local partners, the North West Development Agency and Sport England, we will work towards delivering a scheme which will have at its heart a new stadium fit for the next 150 years, and which will be recognised as world-class standard, fit for the UK's greatest sporting city region and serving the huge cricketing fan base in the North West."

Completion of the new stadium proposals is scheduled for late 2012.