Villa Park Redevelopment

[pauliewalnuts]

Just thinking, if we're dropping £100m on another rebuild for phase 2, then a mega Holte would be just amazing.

Only if they keep the mosaics, steps and Terrace View.

A massive, twelve storey Terrace View perched atop the Holte. Fuck yeah.

[PeterWithesShin]

No chance Birmingham will get any Euro matches. A logistical nightmare for so many fans from different countries to get permission to drink in town from the Zulus. The security budget to stop the aforementioned Zulus from attacking families in restaurants will negate any profit the city would make. And then there's police resources dealing with all the racist abuse of players.

[PeterWithesShin]

Might bring back memories for some, I remember buses waiting on Witton Lane certainly into the 90s.

[DB]

So Euro 28 confirmed for the UK and Ire. Brum named as a venue, so get VP redevelopment done, North stand and shitty DE.

[chrisw1]

They won't be doing the DE.

[DB]

They won't be doing the DE.

It was more of a wish, but they are reconfiguring it...whatever that means, to get capacity to 52k?

[Gareth]

VP is dependent on it being 52k so if redevelopment of North is delayed significantly the ground will be removed I’d guess.

Need Witton Station sorting out - will it come out of the cancelled HS2 pot?

 

[chrisw1]

The new North takes it to 50k.  I'm not sure where the extra 2,500 will come from - which Villa state as the long-term aim.  They can't redev the DE in that time as site assembly wouldn't be possible.  My understanding is that safe standing is only permitted on a 1:1 ratio with the existing seating.  Does that only leave the corners?

[astonvilla82]

VP is dependent on it being 52k so if redevelopment of North is delayed significa seently the ground will be removed I’d guess.

Need Witton Station sorting out - will it come out of the cancelled HS2 pot?

If they started the improvement to Witton station,it should be finished about 2030 with luck

[The Edge]

VP is dependent on it being 52k so if redevelopment of North is delayed significantly the ground will be removed I’d guess.

Need Witton Station sorting out - will it come out of the cancelled HS2 pot?

I don't think 52k is a stipulation for VP to hold the Euros. Casement Park will hold 34,500 after redevelopment. I believe the money for Witton Station rebuild is already earmarked. This news should get things moving.

[Lastfootstamper]

Out of interest, are there plans one can look at of any proposed improvements to Witton station? Would the current matchday problems be then alleviated without the running of extra trains, or are extra trains key to any improvement?

[The Edge]

Out of interest, are there plans one can look at of any proposed improvements to Witton station? Would the current matchday problems be then alleviated without the running of extra trains, or are extra trains key to any improvement?

I'm guessing here but I would think maybe extra trains which would be much longer due to the platforms being extended would be crucial for moving more people a lot quicker to and from the stadium. New St can accommodate the much longer trains. I haven't seen any plans as yet but I'd expect things to speed up following the announcement.

[Gareth]

VP is dependent on it being 52k so if redevelopment of North is delayed significantly the ground will be removed I’d guess.

Need Witton Station sorting out - will it come out of the cancelled HS2 pot?

I don't think 52k is a stipulation for VP to hold the Euros. Casement Park will hold 34,500 after redevelopment. I believe the money for Witton Station rebuild is already earmarked. This news should get things moving.

I think it is a stipulation
52,190 is the advertised capacity

[algy]

Out of interest, are there plans one can look at of any proposed improvements to Witton station? Would the current matchday problems be then alleviated without the running of extra trains, or are extra trains key to any improvement?

As I understand it, there's a few limiting factors.  The layout of the station I don't think is too much of an issue - 1 platform in either direction can cope with a pretty high frequency service - there's plenty of examples of 2 platform stations which operate at very high capacity (e.g. platforms 13 & 14 at Manchester Piccadilly*).

Extending the platforms would allow for more coaches.  I'd wonder if that was likely, though, because basically those trains have to be lugging those coaches - containing mostly fresh air except for a couple of busy periods between 1pm-3pm and 5pm-6pm - around all day.  So I guess you might see longer trains, but I think it's more likely that you wouldn't because it doesn't make an awful lot of operational sense.

I'd think perhaps - and I'm just speculating here - the problem lies as much with the availability of train crew (which is not going to be solved by HS2), and the lack of capacity at Birmingham New Street station (which will be helped by HS2, regardless of the extension).


* edit: I realised after I wrote that, it looks like I'm contradicting myself.   Basically Platforms 1-12 are terminus platforms at Piccadilly, so all trains finish there.  Platforms 13 & 14 are the only two 'through' platforms, where trains go to Manchester then carry on to wherever their destination is (Liverpool, Glasgow, Blackpool, ...).  In effect, those two platforms effectively operate as a separate station from the rest of Manchester Piccadilly.

[The Edge]

VP is dependent on it being 52k so if redevelopment of North is delayed significantly the ground will be removed I’d guess.

Need Witton Station sorting out - will it come out of the cancelled HS2 pot?

I don't think 52k is a stipulation for VP to hold the Euros. Casement Park will hold 34,500 after redevelopment. I believe the money for Witton Station rebuild is already earmarked. This news should get things moving.

I think it is a stipulation
52,190 is the advertised capacity

I thought it was quoted as 50k and a few hundred after the rebuild? And why would we be held to 52k if another venue ie Casement Park in Belfast will only hold 34,500 after its rebuild?