Public consultation announced on Castleford Tigers' stadium redevelopment plans

Permission has already been granted for a retail and leisure development at the Axiom site at Junction 32 on the M62, near Glasshoughton, which was set to include a new stadium for the Betfred Super League club.

Axiom Yorkshire Ltd is now proposing to submit a planning application in the coming weeks which would replace that approved scheme with a new employment development.

Alongside that, a planning application will also be submitted for a major upgrade of Tigers’ existing home at Wheldon Road.

If both planning applications are successful, funds raised by the proposed new employment development would supplement a £2m grant to Tigers via Wakefield Council’s Rugby League Resilience Fund and directly fund the stadium rebuild.

This mirrors the mechanism of the recent planning approval at Newmarket Lane which is providing funds to redevelop Wakefield Trinity’s Belle Vue ground.

Plans for Wheldon Road include a new all-seater main stand and major upgrades to the existing Princess Street Stand, Railway End - including a roof and new terracing - and Wheldon Road End.

The separate planning application for the Axiom site will focus on providing new employment and commercial space and include a multimillion pound investment at the Junction 32 roundabout and other local highway improvements.

Axiom Yorkshire anticipate the employment development will create around 1,800 on-site jobs, plus almost 600 elsewhere to support it and more than 650 during construction.

Tigers managing director Mark Grattan described the plans as “transformational, not just for the stadium, but also for the club and our local community”.

He said: “We are really excited to finally be able to engage with the community on these proposal and I would encourage people to come along to the events and participate in the consultation.”

Consultation events will take place on Monday, June 13, in the McKinley Room, Snozone at Xscape between 2pm-7pm and Wednesday, June 15, at the Tiger Bar at the Wheldon Road ground from 4pm-8pm.