Featured image credit: Edgbaston/Warwickshire CCC
A planning application has been entered for the next phase of redevelopment for Edgbaston Stadium, home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
The application entered to Birmingham City Council focuses on the transformation of the current Priory and Raglan Stands into a single stand, plus the introduction of a new on-site hotel. The new 3,191-seat stand would incorporate a new concourse, with enhanced food and beverage offerings and improved facilities for disabled visitors.
In July, Edgbaston Stadium announced Radisson as its partner for the on-site hotel as more details and renderings were released of the development. The proposed Radisson RED Birmingham Edgbaston Stadium will form part of the company’s RED four-star lifestyle brand. The hotel will feature 146 rooms, including 85 with balconies facing the Edgbaston pitch.
Eighteen of the pitch-view rooms will be fully convertible into hospitality spaces, while Level 4 of the hotel will feature a rooftop restaurant and bar with a 160-square-metre outside terrace offering panoramic views of the Birmingham skyline.
The hotel will serve as the centrepiece of a wide-ranging redevelopment of the Raglan and Priory Stands. “The existing stands are coming towards the end of their designed lifespan, creating an opportunity to build something truly special at Edgbaston,” a design and access statement said, according to Insider Media.
“The proposed new stand will include a new concourse with enhanced food and drink options, plus improved facilities for disabled spectators. The new four-star hotel will be a unique feature to the site, providing one-of-a-kind pitch-side spectator and hospitality facilities, as well as a roof terrace that provides views of the Birmingham skyline.
“In providing a new hotel for spectators and visitors to the area, the proposal hopes to bring new jobs and opportunities to the area. The proposal aims to continue the masterplan vision.
“In delivering a new premium hotel alongside hotel, leisure and accessible spectator facilities, the development will continue to raise the standard the wider Edgbaston Masterplan, creating a vibrant economic centre around the stadium and delivering lasting investment for the local community.”
Edgbaston in March received a major funding boost for the redevelopment project, as the West Midlands Combined Authority approved a loan facility of up to £18m (€21.6m/$22.8m).
The funding will cover a substantial part of the redevelopment and is designed to pave the way for Edgbaston to work with other partners to secure the remaining funding, with a view to construction beginning in September 2025, subject to planning approval.
If planning approval is granted, the project is expected to be finished by spring 2027, with the hotel opening in time for the Ashes Test against Australia later that year.
The project is the latest development in the Edgbaston Masterplan to transform the stadium into a multi-use sports, residential, commercial, and community complex.
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