FWP works to deliver a home win for Stockport county

FWP, the creative force behind some of football’s most innovative stadium projects, is working with Stockport County to help deliver its vision for the club’s historic Edgeley Park ground.

The leading architecture, design and masterplanning practice is working with the ambitious EFL club on the development of its plans for the phased expansion and enhancement of the 122-year-old stadium.

FWP has wide-ranging experience delivering successful stadium projects for clubs at all levels of the football pyramid, including Preston North End, Fleetwood Town and Peterborough United in the EFL.

It has built a national reputation for successful football and sports ground projects, through its design work and by creating sustainable community stadiums.

FWP’s latest plans for high-flying League Two club Stockport County, which are currently out for public consultation, would see the ground’s capacity increased from 10,900 to around 18,000.

As well as improving the matchday experience for fans, the aim is to create a ‘true community stadium’ with a range of high-quality new community spaces and to make Edgeley Park more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Fans will have access to more covered seats and better food and drink options, there will be access improvements for disabled fans, and ‘quick and easy routes into and away from Edgeley Park’ will be created.

The proposals are based on a phased approach to investing in improvements to Edgeley Park, in order to ensure sustainable growth.

The initial phase would include the eastern expansion and enhancement of the historic North Stand (Danny Bergara Stand) and East Stand (Railway End).

The expanded North Stand would provide around 600 additional seats, increasing the capacity of this stand to around 2,680, while the new East Stand would see its capacity increase from 1,366 up to around 4,500.

As part of the plans, the North Stand’s historic brick frontage along Hardcastle Road would be retained and repaired.

Subject to securing planning permission, the club is looking to begin work on the North Stand eastern extension in early 2025.

As part of County’s longer-term plans, it is envisaged that the South Stand (Together Stand) would be redeveloped to increase its capacity to around 5,500, as well as delivering new food and beverage and hospitality facilities.

The final element would be a western extension to the North Stand, providing another 600 seats.

Stockport County intends to submit a hybrid planning application for the expansion of the ground, the club’s home since 1902, in the next few months following the consultation process, which will remain open until Wednesday April 3.

Neil Ainsworth, partner at FWP, which has offices in Preston, Manchester and London, said: “Work on the plans to expand Edgeley Park began initially in 2022 with a call for feedback from the local community and supporters of the club.

“That feedback has been instrumental in shaping our vision for the stadium’s future throughout the project.

“The club is ambitious both on and off the field and the plans look to deliver an enhanced matchday experience and also create a true community stadium, with a wide range of high-quality spaces that local people and groups can use.

“We’ve also worked to make Edgeley Park more environmentally friendly and sustainable. And we have looked to address a number of longstanding issues which have grown organically over the years; parking provision, signage, travel advice, crowd movements, facilities within the ground, and accessibility.

“We believe the result is a plan that matches the club’s ambitions. Edgeley Park has a great history; its enhancement will ensure it continues to be a first-rate home for the club and a central part of the community for many years to come.”

As well as its work with EFL clubs, at the very top of the pyramid, the Premier League, FWP successfully delivered a £1m refurbishment of Everton’s corporate hospitality facilities at Goodison.

FWP has also worked with a host of ambitious non-league sides including AFC Fylde, Hastings United and FC United of Manchester.

It successfully delivered Mill Farm Sports Village, a £20million development on the Fylde coast that includes sports, commercial and leisure facilities, including a 6,000-capacity stadium for National League club AFC Fylde.

FWP’s strategic advice and design expertise, as well as the ability to work to budgets, proves crucial when sports clubs are seeking to improve their stadium facilities.