Stockport’s major stadium expansion for Edgeley Park gets approval from councillors after a battle with campaigners.
County plan to add 7,400 seats to reach 18,000 capacity in a nearly £50m project, including new east and south stands.
Despite opposition from the Edgeley Wildlife Group over a car park on green land, councillors prioritised socio-economic benefits for the town during a meeting on Thursday.
The League One club, hoping to win promotion to the Championship, expects phased work to start post-season, with traffic mitigation plans, amid a strong start to their campaign.
Plans to redevelop Edgeley Park have finally been *approved* by Stockport Council this evening at the Town Hall.
The redevelopment of EP would take the total capacity to over 18,000.#StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/ESqKtcotpJ
— Sam Byrne (@_SByrne) August 14, 2025
Coun Steve Gribbon, planning chairman, said: “If you put something in which is going to be a structure of meaning then people are going to want to be part of it and I think this is going to be a good thing for the town centre.”
Edgeley councillor Asa Caton: “As a councillor I have to strike a balance between environmental protection and development that brings clear socio-economic benefits.
“I have listened to the objections from the Edgeley Wildlife Resvere group but to me the balance is in favour of development because of the benefits it’s going to bring to Edgeley and across Stockport.”
Stockport’s capacity will go from 10,852 to 18,305 capacity, the initial phase to see Eastern expansion of North Stand (adding 600 seats, total 3,000) and new East Stand (from 1,366 to 4,500 seats).
Work on the North Stand to start early 2025 if approved, retaining historic brick frontage.
Meanwhile, long-term phases will see the South Stand redevelop to 5,500 seats with new food, beverage, and hospitality facilities; the western North Stand extension (600 seats).
Benefits include 150,000 annual attendance boost, £2M yearly economic value to local businesses, 25 new operational jobs, and 160 casual matchday roles. Plans for community access, improved matchday experience, accessibility, sustainability, and environmental enhancements like a travel plan.
Here are the details on Stockport 8, a massive transformation in the west of the town centre. We’ve got a commitment that it WILL include affordable homes, and reaction from council leader Mark Roberts:https://t.co/CD7t0fqKpl
— Declan Carey (@DeclanGCarey) August 15, 2025
Stockport County Supporters Club:
The Supporters Co-operative welcome the decision by the Planning and Highways Committee on 14th August to approve the planning application to expand the capacity of Edgeley Park
We would also like to congratulate the Football Club, in particular the Non-Executive Chairman, Ken Knott and Alice Routledge from Asteer Planning who have led this project.
Ambitious staged plans from the Club will see 7,405 additional seats for Edgeley Park, alongside the provision of additional food and beverage facilities, ancillary offices, community meeting space, car and coach parking and ancillary floodlighting.
The Co-op have worked on behalf of supporters and the Club, to help support the planning application and provide a constructive, positive counterbalance to the democratic objections provided by the Edgeley Wildlife Reserve Group.
This has included writing an open letter and lobbying the Councillors on the Central Stockport Area Committee, securing interviews with BBC News and the Manchester Evening News and speaking in favour of the planning application at the Town Hall on 31st July, alongside the Club’s planning consultants, Asteer Planning.
We are delighted that the planning application has been approved, as an increased capacity will enable the Supporters’ Co-operative to continue our work to invite junior football clubs to Edgeley Park and the Community Trust to welcome schools and participants in their various community programmes. An increased capacity will enable the Club to be more competitive on the field, particularly if the Club win promotion to the Championship, which has average attendances over 22,000.
These are some of the examples of the work the Co-op has been undertaking:
https://www.countysupporterscoop.co.uk/stockportcouncilplanningletter
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpqnl3597z4o
https://stockport.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1001987
The Co-op works hard to represent Stockport County supporters and the Football Club. It is especially important to grow our membership, as that provides our board with a stronger voice when talking to key stakeholders, such as Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Increased membership also helps fund our initiatives to develop County’s fan base.
This includes the purchase of 4 x season tickets to help County fans struggling financially, the sponsorship of the Community Trust’s flag bearer scheme – which enables 400 players from junior football clubs to welcome County on to the pitch and our new ticket initiative to purchase Cup tickets for participants in Community Trust programmes.
To join the Co-op, please visit: https://www.countysupporterscoop.co.uk/join-today
Oxford United’s new stadium plans given the green light after hours of talks
Twitter users reacted as Stockport’s major stadium expansion gets approval from councillors after a battle with campaigners…
@ReddishHatter: what an absolute fabulous day this has been
@marshalltay: Another team in L1 expanding their ground to 18k. Won’t be long before the average attendance in L1 is 14-15k+ with at least 3-4 other teams also expanding stadiums/stands
@clare_jeffs: More amazing news. It’s crazy mad the growth of the crowds over the last few seasons; this will be the best leap…the journey goes on!
@aroundgroundsss: A club doing it right. A club on the up. Big plans and it is certainly exciting times to be a @StockportCounty fan #StockportCounty
@cylertarter: Would love to know what life feels like to the Stockport fans who thought they’d forever be in non league 10 years ago
@PhilCounty1883: Really hope something can happen for Morecambe, however unlikely it seems right now. Brings home how incredibly lucky we are.
@RobHydeRIBA: Free-falling from 2nd tier to 6th, going part-time & losing our ground on the way, it really makes you appreciate where we are now & to enjoy every single minute of it…
@clare_jeffs: It’s incredible. A growth I genuinely never expected. I have been following Morecambe’s troubles very closely, with invested interest due to my friend @jenhunt_ & she will tell you, I always say how lucky I feel, but hope you get to experience it, too. 🤞🏻
@JimmyStevens88: It’s good, genuinely thought I was witnessing the death of my club in front of my eyes with almost weekly “just fold the club” moments. The good times feel that much sweeter when you’ve been to the brink.
@robreckless81: What a day, Brad Hills signed and now planning permission granted to expand Edgeley Park. #StockportCounty are properly moving up in the world again. Almost worth the 11 years of pain that preceded Stott 🤣
@WSM_Gas: Stockport and Oxford 2 teams once at our level now getting new stadiums and leaving us behind. This is getting embarrassing. I’m not saying as fans we got it bad, in relation to Bury and Morecombe fans, but this is just painful being a Gashead
@fcislocheng: Oxford stadium: approved. Stockport stadium expansion: approved. About time @MayorofLondon stepped in to give the Borough of Barnet the football facility they deserve as well.
@Callumh67: Oxford United and Stockport County both getting new/developing stadiums, we can’t even afford free agents 🤣 #swfc
A truly dark day for knotweed lovers everywhere.
— Sam Byrne (@_SByrne) August 14, 2025
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