Newcastle plans to redevelop St James's' Park – but work won't start until the end of the year as funding still needs to be finalized. Photo: Ryan Crockett/Getty Images
Newcastle United are set to press ahead with plans to expand St James's Park following the completion of a feasibility study into what could be done to upgrade their historic home.
While much remains to be worked out and expansion plans are unlikely to be made public anytime soon, Telegraph Sport can reveal that the club wishes to continue building on the current city center site.
An extensive six-month feasibility study has been carried out, including during which the architects proposed a number of options to significantly increase the stadium's capacity to more than 60,000 people, as well as modernize the facilities inside the stadium.
However, before the multi-million pound refurbishment, which has been described as one of the most ambitious stadium renovations in this country, begins, Newcastle City Council sources have suggested that Newcastle will want to discuss the length of the lease at St James's Stadium. ' Park.
The Lees End and Millburn stands currently dwarf the East Stand and Gallowgate End in St James's' ; Park Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
The lease is currently set to run for 70 years, but before investing hundreds of millions of pounds in the project, the club understandably wants to extend it.
These negotiations with the board will be sensitive, and the Saudi Public Investment Fund Arabia, which holds an 80 percent majority stake in the club and will fund the project if it gets the green light, will want to ensure long-term security for its investment.
There were two potential alternatives. sites in question. The first, on the banks of the River Tyne on the site of the Metro Radio Arena, has since been bought for redevelopment as housing. The second idea was to completely redevelop St James's Park on the site of Lees Park next to the existing stadium.
This option was also widely discussed and if expanding St James's Park became too expensive or a solution to the problem, lease cannot be decided by the council, a new stadium at Lizes Park/Lizes Castle will need to be further studied, although local residents are likely to be strongly opposed to planning permission.
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