Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium will soon be expanding as councillors have approved plans to add another 14,500 seats at the Etihad Stadium.
The club will soon be extending the north and south stands by 6,250 seats each and creating an extra 2,000 seats around the pitch.
The changes, expected to be finished in time for the 2015/16 season, will increase the number of seats at the ground by almost a third from 47,670 to 62,170.
The club has said construction work will create 160 temporary jobs and the extended stadium would require an extra 220 match-day staff.
A report prepared ahead of yesterday’s meeting of Manchester City Council’s planning committee said: “The expansion of the stadium will provide enhanced facilities which will help to create a stadium of national and international profile and improve the visitor experience. The appearance of the south and north stands and create a more prominent landmark feature at the centre of the Etihad Campus and East Manchester.”
It added: “Whilst there will be some impact arising from the development it is considered that the aspects of the proposal have been designed to minimise the impact on nearby residential properties, for example, design of the roof to avoid overshadowing, consideration of the lighting to avoid sky glow and glare and management of deliveries and operating hours.”