Leeds faces further competition to host Women’s World Cup as decision on United's Elland Road expansion due
Leeds is facing further competition in the race to host Women’s World Cup football here in the city as a decision looms over United’s £200m Elland Road expansion plans.
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are set to host the 2035 Women's World Cup and stadiums must meet certain criteria to be considered.
Now, Brighton and Hove plus Sunderland announced they are also throwing hats in the ring alongside the likes of Manchester, London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle and Leeds. At least eight football grounds will be required for the 48-team tournament.
Leeds United is working with the city council to bid for hosting rights. Elland Road is in line for redevelopment under proposals which would take the stadium's capacity from just over 36,000 to around 53,000 with a new West Stand followed by an enhanced North Stand, which would make it the seventh largest club stadium in England. The club are currently awaiting full planning permission for their West Stand plans and outline planning permission for what they want to do with the North Stand.
A public consultation by the club showed widespread support for the plans. Some 78 public objection comments had been received, along with 1,041 letters in support of the scheme.
Leeds believe their redevelopment plans will make Elland Road a 'leading candidate' to host international tournament games.
READ MORE: Leeds United Elland Road planning report reveals outstanding issue, objections and progress
Last week, the Elland Road ambitions were cited by the government among £10bn worth of investments boosting communities across the UK. A statement from the Department for Business and Trade said: "Leeds United Football Club is planning to make a further investment of more than £200m in the first phase of construction of a redeveloped Elland Road stadium.
“This will represent a huge private-sector commitment to Leeds, supporting jobs, growth and the long-term future of the club and its community. The club is working closely with the Council, Mayor and all stakeholders on planning and light rail, to deliver this transformative investment on schedule for Leeds, for Yorkshire and for the future of Elland Road."
At a recent City Plans Panel it was revealed Leeds have made progress since their planning application was submitted but travel and traffic measures remain an outstanding issue.
A progress report said a planning application could be decided at the November meeting of the council’s City Plans Panel. But it said: “Further work is needed before the impact of the development on the highway and transport network can be fully understood and mitigated.”
Leeds United’s chief business officer Morrie Eisenberg said: “We have a lot of really tangible measures we think are going to have a real impact on match days.”
It was hoped more fans would share cars to matches and use public transport. Pre-match closures of Elland Road were among the measures being considered. The report said traffic problems included queuing on the M621 “which has previously led to some people opening doors on coaches and walking onto the live motorway, a clear road safety risk.”
Elland Road has hosted many major sporting events in recent years including international matches for both England women’s and men’s senior football teams, along with games in the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup and 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
FIFA, the world governing body for football, is expected to make a formal announcement in April that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup tournament. It will also choose the venues for the World Cup Finals although the outcome may not be known until about five years before the tournament begins.