Decision on Leicester City plan due tomorrow

Plans to expand Leicester City鈥檚 football stadium are set to be approved with Laing O鈥橰ourke being lined up to carry out the job, 黑洞社区 understands.

Planning officers at the city council have recommended councillors give the green light to the redevelopment proposals, which would bring the King Power Stadium鈥檚 capacity up to 40,000 seats

A report to council members said the redevelopment would help the East Midlands club, currently languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table, 鈥渞emain competitive鈥� within the competition.

Leicester City FC - KSS (1)

Source: Leicester City / KSS

An additional tier will be added above the eastern stand

O鈥橰ourke, currently building Everton鈥檚 new ground, is believed to be negotiating with the Foxes over the price of the work. 黑洞社区 understands that McLaren, which built the club鈥檚 拢120m training academy, is not in the running for the scheme.

The build would see an upper tier added above the eastern stand, partially wrapped around the north and south stands, adding 8,000 seats to the existing stadium, which was designed by Holmes Miller and completed in 2002.

The proposals, drawn up by KSS Architects, the firm behind the ongoing Anfield Road stand rebuild at Liverpool鈥檚 ground, also include a 20-storey residential building with 234 homes of various tenures, a 220-room hotel, a 6,000-capacity arena for events, a multi-storey car park and a club retail store.

See also>> To refurb or rebuild: what next for Old Trafford?

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It is understood that Leicester鈥檚 new stand will be built behind the existing stadium, and then adjoined during an off-season.

Leicester City FC - KSS

How the extra tier will look from outside the ground

The report to council members said the development would 鈥渆nable increased capacity for concerts and non-sporting events, enhancing the profile of the city in hosting such events and contributing to [Leicester鈥檚] economy and cultural offering鈥�.

The council鈥檚 planning and development control committee will decide on Wednesday whether to allow the development to go ahead.

Previously known as the Walkers Stadium, the venue was completed by Birse, later bought by Balfour Beatty for 拢32m in 2006.

The firm was forced to write off 拢5.5m in bad debt after the club was put into administration in October 2002, with the cost of the ground and the club鈥檚 then relegation from the top flight being blamed.

The club鈥檚 current Thai owners have been in charge since August 2010.

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