Sadie Pitman writes for City AM on the questions facing Arsenal over its Emirates Stadium expansion plans
Arsenal has become the second Premier League club this year to consider major plans to increase stadium capacity.
To expand, clubs must consider whether they can increase capacity on their existing stands or move location altogether. This year, Liverpool finished adding 7,000 seats to Anfield whilst neighbours Everton moved to a new dockside location – a decision which partly cost the city Unesco World Heritage status.
Manchester United have opted for the latter. With England already boasting the world’s first carbon-neutral football club – Forest Green Rovers have planning permission for an all-timber stadium – United sought to embed sustainability into the concept with an umbrella roof to harvest energy and rainwater. However, the stadium is now being re-designed to manage escalating costs.
Arsenal may favour following in Liverpool’s footsteps, but expanding Emirates Stadium will be a complex logistical challenge.
Sadie Pitman, Associate in our Planning Infrastructure and Environment team, writes an article on the potential expansion for City AM. In the article, she explores some of the potential hurdles to the plans that the club will have to navigate. "It will be interesting to see how the Emirates, home to Arsenal for almost 20 years now, evolves to keep pace with a changing football world", she explains.
Read the full article in City AM here.
