No Kop redevelopment start date – club say it “will not be open for the start of the 2024/25 season”

Update: We asked Wrexham Council about the update from the club that noted ‘the grant funding agreement from Wrexham County Borough Council needs to be finalised’, we asked about any hold ups, and if there was a timeline for it all being resolved.

Alistair Aldridge, Wrexham Gateway Project Manager said: “There’s no hold up at WCBC – as the statement says, the club needs to be satisfied that it can meet the conditions of the funding agreement. “We understand that they are progressing the matters that they mentioned in their statement and, as soon as they are resolved, we understand that the club will complete the legal agreement.”

Original information below…

Wrexham AFC have said there is currently ‘no date for starting on site’ for the redevelopment of the Kop.

Recently Wrexham.com has asked the club for an update on the situation, as it is around 3-4 months since the proposed start date on the rebuild with no significant/visible progress as yet.

We asked to fact check local rumours regarding the relocation of an electric substation associated with the student flats next to the Kop site – something that is covered in today’s statement.

We also asked if the long documented phosphates issue was still relevant to the redevelopment, and if any newly opened Kop would still be subject to planning conditions imposed.

Although there was no reply to our queries, the football club have issued the below statement this lunchtime.

It is locally rumoured there is possibility of piling work to begin in December, and activity to begin in January, however in the full statement below the club say there is ‘no date for starting on site’.

The new Kop will not be open for the start of the 2024/25 season with a projected build period of 12 months from commencement on site. There is no date for starting on site, as several matters need to be resolved before that can be confirmed.

To enable a contract to build the Kop to be signed, the grant funding agreement from Wrexham County Borough Council needs to be finalised and the Club satisfied that the conditions attached to the funding offer can be fulfilled. It is hoped that these negotiations will be completed before the end of October 2023.

There are several conditions that the Club needs to be satisfied can be fulfilled which includes, but are not limited to:

– The collapse of the existing lease structure at the STōK Cae Ras. Good progress has been made with the WST in this regard, with an update on the position due to be announced soon by the WST.

– Confirmation of the requirements to meet UEFA’s Category 4 stadium status and that these can be achieved. A report is awaited from UEFA after a stadium visit.

From a practical perspective, to allow a contractor to commence, the following works also needs to be completed:

– Permanent diversion of existing sewer away from the land required for the Kop with Welsh Water and Admiral Taverns (owners of The Turf).

– Removal of a low voltage cable and substation that serves the student accommodation that runs across the land required for the Kop with SPEN and Wrexham University. Power needs to be always retained to the student accommodation and the University now have planning permission to build a new substation to facilitate this.

Further updates will be issued in due course when progress is made.