Cricket Field Stand to be demolished

Burnley Football Club and ground owners Longside Properties have announced details of a major multi-million pound re-development of Turf Moor. The re-development, said by director Brendan Flood to be ‘face changing' and ‘something where we can all be comfortable for the next thirty years' were unveiled today on the official site.

At a press conference the club announced an innovative and futuristic £20million redevelopment of Turf Moor and the surrounding area, to create a community sports and leisure village incorporating major improvements to facilities at Burnley Cricket Club.

Over the next three years, Turf Moor will be transformed into a fully modern stadium holding approximately 22,000 fans and encompassing a whole host of social, leisure and commercial ventures to become a sporting and enterprise hub and breathe new life into the local community.

As a result, the ‘Burnley Sports and Leisure Village' will host a new hotel and restaurant complex, Business Centre, multi-screen cinema, supporters' bar and a new retail sports store offering a wide range of sports goods.

In addition, the Football Club plans to invest in a premier Football Academy facility at Gawthorpe to revive its reputation as a youth developing club.

It has been eleven years since Turf Moor has seen re-development but the scale of this doesn't compare.

There are six phases to the massive redevelopment progamme, many running concurrently including:

• A new, relocated players' dressing rooms and hospitality block at Turf Moor
• The construction of a 2,500-seat stand to replace the David Fishwick (Cricket Field) stand, incorporating a new hotel, restaurant, Business Centre and cricket pavilion.
• A multi-screen digital cinema being built into a new build elevation to the Bob Lord Stand
• A new, dedicated supporters' bar and restaurant.
• A new, enlarged club-branded retail sports store on the approach to Turf Moor.
• The creation of a Burnley FC Academy at the Gawthorpe training ground in Padiham.

More details can be found at the bottom of the article.

Planning applications are set to be put before Burnley Borough Council in September in anticipation of them with consultation being granted so the scheme can go ahead from 2008.

A gallery of some of the images shown at todays press conference can be found on the Official Website.

An interview with the club can be found on these links from around 9pm (Hopefully):

BBC North West Tonight (Next 24 hours only)

ITV Local - Granada Tonight

Phases in detail:

Phase One (2008)

The new players' dressing rooms and hospitality block will be built between the Jimmy McIlroy and James Hargreaves Stands at a cost of approximately £1.25m. This three tier, glass-fronted building will be the hub of match days and house Premiership facilities and a fully furnished media suite.

Phase Two (Summer 2008)

The ageing David Fishwick (Cricket Field) Stand is to be demolished and replaced by a £10million, single tier stand housing corporate boxes, a hotel, business centre, gymnasium and cricket pavilion within the new stand. A multi-storey car park is to be built on Harry Potts Way, with access to a concourse linking all amenities.

Phase Three (Summer 2008)

The building of a two storey retail sports store on the approach to Turf Moor on Harry Potts Way. This will replace the existing club superstore which will be later redeveloped. Harry Potts Way will benefit from the planting of trees to freshen and enliven the approach from the town centre. This tree-lined avenue is to be extended down to Centenary Way with the financial help and support of Burnley Borough Council and Government agencies.

Phase Four (Summer 2008)

The exciting development of a Burnley Football Club Academy at the Gawthorpe training ground in Padiham, costing around £2million. This state-of-the-art facility will enable the club to attract and further nurture young talent to compete with the biggest clubs in England.

Phase Five (Summer 2009)

The internal refurbishment and external redevelopment of the Bob Lord Stand at an estimated cost of £3.75million. The wooden seating is to be replaced and a new façade to the existing stand on Harry Potts Way will encompass a multi-screen digital cinema, restaurants, new club offices and modern hospitality suites.

Phase Six (Summer 2009)

A new £1million bar and restaurant for use by supporters is to be built on the site of the former club offices and shop, with commercial offices above.

Allied to the recently announced build in the Jimmy McIlroy Stand void, which commences shortly as an ‘Enterprise Haven' for start-up businesses, these new developments, in conjunction with the Community Sports Trust, will transform Turf Moor into a thriving sports, entertainment, business and educational centre and help to regenerate the entire town.

The club intends to encourage start up businesses and academic bodies to expand within the new commercial offices and Business Centre to create a unique Enterprise Park.

The total cost of the above is approximately £20million and completion is estimated at Summer 2010