Wrexham’s Kop expansion clears planning hurdle

Parking impact and noise concerns were potential thorns in the side of the US-owned football club’s plan to increase the under-construction stand’s capacity by 2,500 seats, but approval has now been secured.

Wrexham AFC, famously owned by US actor-entrepreneurs Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, initially took forward plans for a new stand at the long-derelict Kop end with AFL, but drafted in Populous, designer of the much-admired Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in 2024.

Populous unveiled its plans for a 5,500-capacity stand early last year, securing approval in March 2025. It was then decided that summer – with promotion to the Championship secured by Phil Parkinson’s side – to push capacity even further, to give the STōK Cae Ras stadium a capacity of close to 18,000.

McLaren then secured the contract in September and started work in December, with the site towering over the on-pitch action as this season unfolds.

Officers presented committee members with the options either of giving the chief officer economy and planning delegated powers to approve, providing various conditions are met; or to refuse, on the grounds of parking impact and noise disturbance.

Included in the original meeting report was a reference to the Section 106 agreement including a condition that a residents’ matchday parking scheme be consulted on should the club’s travel plan not bring about modal shift in matchday travel – however, this was removed by an addendum added in the hours before the meeting.

The critical part of the officer report was the highways officers’ report. It was stated that the highways department raises no objection on the conditions that a suitably worded travel plan is produced, implemented, and monitored,  with the mechanism for funding and implementing additional mitigation measures should targets not be achieved.

Parking demand is forecast to increase to approximately 3,580 vehicles, which would exceed the approved off-street parking supply of 3,325 spaces by around 255 vehicles, which naturally would create more demand for on-street parking.

There was some disagreement over the capacity of streets around the ground to absorb more parking between the council’s side and that of the applicant – WAFC and its advisor Buro Happold – with the officer report concluding that officers do not agree “with the applicant’s conclusion that the proposed increase in stadium capacity can be accommodated without reliance upon additional parking controls or mitigation measures”.

However, it was noted that the interim travel plan put forward, identifying initiatives to encourage less car-reliance, is welcomed. This document covers active travel, public transport, park and ride opportunities, coach travel, car-shares, improving travel information, and ongoing engagement with the council, Transport for Wales, public transport operators and the wider Wrexham Gateway partnership.

Although both the parking aspect and noise disturbance were discussed at some length – along with the residents’ parking  scheme – the vote was close to unanimous, with just one abstention and no votes against. Scheme documents can be seen on Wrexham Council’s planning portal, reference P/2025/0594.