Tesco proposal will give Pompey stadium boost
Portsmouth Football Club has backed plans for a new Tesco superstore behind the Fratton End which, if approved, will give the club a substantial sum to fund and start long-overdue work on improving the stadium.
Point Estates, the company of the club’s strategic property partner Stuart Robinson, is proposing to build a 5,500sq m store on the land adjacent to Fratton Way.
Fans will get the chance to have their say on the scheme at a consultation event in the Victory Bar on Friday, July 5 (10am-6pm) and Saturday, July 6 (10am-3pm) when the plans will go on show.
Pompey chairman Iain McInnes said: “We are fully behind this scheme. If the development gets planning consent, the club will receive substantial financial investment.
“In the short-term, some that money will enable us to address a back-log of legacy planned maintenance and safety issues with Fratton Park, to ensure it is fully operational next season.
“We are also looking at some other improvements to make the matchday experience inside and outside the ground much better, particularly providing more comfortable and befitting facilities for disabled supporters.
“The majority of the money we receive, however, will be put into a ring-fenced account to be used to help kick-start our fund for improvements to the stadium. We are well aware of the need to improve the stadium’s facilities if we are to fulfil our potential as a club.
“In the next 12 months, we will separately be undertaking a feasibility study to explore ways we can finance a phased redevelopment of Fratton Park. This is a project of the highest priority for the board and the fans.
“To achieve it will require realistic, measurable timescales, communicated effectively and aggressively pursued.
“The money we will receive from Point Estates will give us a solid platform for the short-term improvements and to begin the search for other sources of funding to finally deliver the improved facilities our fans deserved.”
Among the immediate benefits of the proposal to the club are:
- Car and coach parking on land adjacent to the North Stand, via Anson Road
- Dedicated media area for TV vehicles and journalists
- New pedestrian access to the club via Fratton Way and Anson Road
- Improved facilities for disabled fans