On Thursday morning, the Board of the Joint Venture met to discuss the next steps in the redevelopment of the Nigel Eady County Ground. Representatives of the Club, Trust STFC and the Nigel Eady Trust were in attendance.
Concepts developed by Club appointed architects were presented showing how hospitality facilities could be added to the Don Rogers Stand. The architects were tasked to create an environment which would provide an improved matchday hospitality experience whilst maximising flexibility for non-matchday use.
Whilst the concepts were well developed and professionally presented, the Club had already requested changes to the plans to refine the general layout of the hospitality space. Updated drawings are expected within the next two weeks.
In parallel with the hospitality project, the Club are committed to improving supporter facilities in all parts of the stadium. It is recognised that the quality of facilities (especially toilets) is poor and plans to address this will be shared shortly.
The following process will be followed once the updated drawings and plans are available:
- The Club will present the updated scheme to the JV Board for review by the end of February 2025.
- A three week consultation period will then take place, commencing with a presentation to the Advisory Board. Plans and drawings will be published online and all supporters will be invited to review the proposals and provide their feedback.
- Received feedback will be shared with the Club to consider, with changes made to the scheme as appropriate.
- In accordance with the Joint Venture Agreement and the stadium lease, the Club will then request formal approval from the Joint Venture to submit a planning application and undertake the development. Unanimous consent is required by the JV shareholders (the Club and Trust STFC) for approval to be granted.
- Trust consent for the development will be subject to a membership vote. The vote will be for a single proposal on a simple yes/no basis and is likely to take place mid-April 2025.
Any development of the stadium is likely to result in some changes to existing seating arrangements. As part of the process set out above, the Club will meet with Trust STFC and the Official Supporters Club to develop a supporter displacement policy which will establish the procedure for supporting anyone impacted by changes to their season ticket seating. The policy will include a commitment to provide at least twelve months advance warning of changes to avoid mid-season seat reallocation.
Updates will be provided by the Joint Venture at each stage of the process, the first of which will follow the next JV Board meeting at the end of February.
COYR
The Board of TrustSTFC