Leeds City Council update on Elland Road — YEP 11/4/25
Leeds City Council have today released the following statement regarding an update on Elland Road:
Senior councillors are to be briefed on a major regeneration
vision which could see Leeds United’s iconic Elland Road home become one of the
country’s largest football stadiums.
At a meeting of Leeds City Council’s executive board,
members will be updated on a package of ambitious proposals that would
transform a key part of south Leeds.
These include an imminent planning application from Leeds
United to increase their famous ground’s capacity to up to 56,500, a move that,
if approved, would see it join the ranks of the nation’s elite sporting venues.
Land immediately surrounding the stadium is owned by Leeds
City Council, meaning agreements will need to be in place between the council
and the club before any expansion can begin.
A report to the executive board details the vast potential
of the club’s upcoming application in the context of the wider Elland Road
area, comprising around 30 acres of council-owned land which could be
transformed and regenerated, with billions of pounds of investment then being
unlocked.
With a potential Mass Rapid Transit link for south Leeds,
the report outlines a unique opportunity for Elland Road to become a year-round
destination, potentially giving a huge boost to the local economy while
supporting the council’s broader inclusive growth ambitions.
As well as the stadium redevelopment, long term plans for
the wider south Leeds area include the potential of British Library North at
Temple Works, the Holbeck Sports Hub and Heart of Holbeck, which will include
the renewal of the local high street, transformation of a local community
centre and the delivery of improvements to traditional terraced homes.
These projects sit alongside existing economic hubs at the
White Rose Shopping Centre and White Rose Park.
At the upcoming meeting, members will be asked to note the
huge potential of the Elland Road regeneration project and to approve the start
of legal agreements to dispose of council land to Leeds United Football Club,
which would be needed for stadium enhancement.
The executive board will also be asked to approve that the
council enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Leeds United’s
development partner Lowy Family Group.
Members will be asked to consider an initial period of
collaboration with LFG on the wider regeneration potential and strategy for 30
acres of council owned land around the stadium.
LFG is an investor in the owners of LUFC, 49ers enterprises,
and Peter Lowy, one of the principals of LFG, is a board member of the club.
Members are also being asked to approve steps to refresh the
council’s vision for the future regeneration of land adjacent to an expanded
stadium, and to prepare for a future public consultation on the proposals,
which will enable people in the area to have their say.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said:
“Elland Road and Leeds United are part of the heart and soul of the city, and
the club deserves a stadium befitting of its special status and incredible
fans.
“Naturally we’re keen to support this however we can, and to
work closely with the club to ensure they are in the best possible position to
achieve their ambitions and build a bigger, brighter future for the club, their
supporters and sport in the city.
“From a wider perspective, the regeneration of the Elland
Road area also represents one of the city’s most exciting development
opportunities for a generation, which would revitalise a huge area of Leeds and
potentially bring hundreds of millions of pounds into our local economy.
“Local residents will be fully consulted throughout the
planning process and we’re keen to ensure their voices are heard and that they
get the chance to inform the project at each stage.
“We want to do all that we can to maximise this incredible
opportunity and put everything we can in place, including our MoU with the
club’s development partner LFG, to facilitate what could represent a genuine
game changer for Leeds.”
The council’s executive board will meet on April 23. For
more details and to view a full copy of the report, please visit: South Leeds
Regeneration Cover Report.