How Elland Road expansion and ground tram link will 'maximise stadium potential' after Leeds United promotion

Leeds City Council’s executive board have unanimously approved plans to increase the capacity of Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium to over 53,000, just days after the club secured its return to the top flight of English football.

Transport bosses say the plans, which include a potential future mass transit link running past the stadium, could unlock billions of pounds of investment and turn Elland Road into a “year-round destination.”

The analysis comes as part of the Yorkshire Evening Post’s new Promotion Effect series, a package of special reports dedicated to Leeds United's relationship with the city, supporters, residents and businesses as the club celebrates promotion back to the Premier League.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Councillor Jonathan Pryor, the council’s executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said the proposals represented an opportunity to “maximise the vast potential” of the stadium.

Coun Pryor said: “Last week’s approval by the council’s executive board was a major positive step forward for the stadium redevelopment and the regeneration of the Elland Road area as a whole.

“With a future decision to be taken by WYCA on a preferred route, the ongoing development of a modern, accessible and efficient mass transit system, serving and connecting south Leeds could clearly be hugely beneficial for unlocking growth and transforming connectivity for visitors.

“This could also help to maximise the vast potential of what is a unique opportunity for Elland Road to become a year-round destination. We look forward to working closely with the club as they bring their plans forward and to collaborating with WYCA and other key stakeholders to bring the long-term vision for Elland Road to life.”

On Monday (May 5), over 150,000 supporters turned Leeds city centre yellow and white as their promotion heroes paraded the Championship trophy through the streets, in a day that will live long in the memory.

The stadium expansion proposals will be subject to relevant planning approval, and the club's application will include transport assessments and a Travel Plan for event days setting out how spectators can travel to the stadium.

In 2024, the WYCA launched a public consultation on Phase One of their mass transit plan, with two of the three proposed south Leeds routes running past Elland Road.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “This is a great moment to be a Leeds fan. Back in the Premier League and set to become the seventh-biggest football ground in the country, Leeds United has the full backing of local leaders, and are the cultural juggernaut we need to drive investment and growth.

“We’re bringing back trams to the region and during our consultation last year, over 70 per cent of respondents supported a Leeds Line running from St James' Hospital to the White Rose Centre via the city centre.”

Mayor Brabin’s comments came after the club unveiled first look images at the proposed stadium expansion, including a complete revamp of the West and North Stands.

The Whites intend to begin work on the Elland Road site as early as September, but do not envisage building work on the West Stand to begin until the end of next season, according to reports.

Legal agreements to sell council-owned land around the stadium to Leeds United and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lowy Family Group, Leeds United's development partner, is already underway.

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Mayor Brabin added: “We will be asking for views on preferred routes for the Leeds and Bradford lines in early 2026, and our detailed proposals will include information about tram stops, depots, and potential park and ride sites.

“Our flagship mass transit project will unlock jobs and regeneration across the region, and I'm committed to working with everyone, including Leeds City Council and Leeds United, on creating a brighter and better-connected West Yorkshire.”

Leeds remains the biggest city in Western Europe without a rapid mass transit system and plans to introduce a scheme were first proposed in 1991 - more than three decades after the city's original tramway was scrapped.

Phase one of the current planned mass transit network aims to connect St James’ Hospital with White Rose Shopping Centre, while a secondary line would run between Bradford and Leeds.

Mass transit forms a key part of Mayor Brabin's growth plan for West Yorkshire and she has pledged to have “spades in the ground” by 2028.