Community Consultation Evening

 

We have prepared these questions and answers to give you, as a local resident,  some initial information about our club's stadium development plans.

We will be very happy to answer any questions that you have at the drop-in session on Thursday 16 July 2026 between 6pm and 9pm. 

Please note that this session is for local residents only. Our wider supporter base won't be in attendance, and open sessions will be held later in July where anyone can attend.

Footfall & Anti-Social Behaviour

Q: Won't more facilities just attract more people and cause trouble?

A: The improvements are about improving the quality of the facilities, not increasing the number of people using them. Matchday attendance and the overall ground capacity will remain the same. The club has also recently invested in a state-of-the-art CCTV system and enhanced security measures, which have reduced anti-social behaviour at the ground to virtually zero incidents. The aim is to create a safer, more welcoming environment for everyone who uses the site. 

Q: What about after-hours use of the facilities?

A: The club has no intention of increasing late-night activity or becoming a late-night events venue. We do not intend to host 18th or 21st birthday parties or other events that are more likely to generate disturbance. The focus of the new space is to provide a high-quality facility for the local community, supporting activities such as community groups, meetings, after-school clubs and family-focused events, rather than increasing late-night use. 

Traffic & Parking

Q: Where are people going to park? It's already bad on matchdays.

A: The proposals do not reduce existing parking or increase spectator capacity. The club already provides approximately 200 on-site parking spaces, plus a further 300 spaces at Hardy Farm, giving around 500 parking spaces in total. On matchdays, parking is managed by marshals, with only players, officials and authorised guests allowed to use the on-site car park, while spectators are directed to Hardy Farm and walk to the ground. A travel survey of 731 spectators (representing 62% of the 1,174 people attending) found that 64% travelled by walking, cycling, bus or tram, with only 13% arriving as a car driver, demonstrating that the majority of supporters already travel without driving to the ground. 

Q: Will there be more events that bring more cars?

A: While the clubhouse will continue to host community events, these already take place at the existing venue and are generally held at weekends when background traffic is lower. The site's busiest existing use is the breakfast and after-school club, attended by around 50 children, which already has the potential to generate up to 100 two-way vehicle trips during weekday peak periods. This operation is not changing as part of the proposals, and because the football ground's overall spectator capacity will remain unchanged, no significant increase in traffic is anticipated. 

Construction

Q: How long will works take, and what hours will contractors be on site?

A: The improvements will be delivered in phases over approximately five years, allowing the club to fund each stage as finances become available. This phased approach means construction activity will be intermittent rather than continuous, with individual projects completed separately. Standard construction working hours will be agreed through the planning process, with contractors expected to work during normal daytime hours to minimise disruption to neighbouring residents 

Q: Will there be HGVs on residential streets?

A: Construction will require occasional deliveries, including some HGVs for larger materials, but these will be limited to the individual phases of work rather than throughout the five-year period. Because the development is being delivered in stages, HGV movements will be infrequent and temporary, with contractors encouraged to consolidate deliveries where possible and manage vehicle movements to minimise disruption to local residents. Once construction is complete, the development is not expected to generate a material increase in traffic as the overall spectator capacity of the ground will remain unchanged. 

Noise & Light

Q: Will you be adding or changing floodlights?

A: No. The club has recently invested in replacing the existing floodlights, and there are no proposals to upgrade or replace them again for the foreseeable future. The current floodlighting will remain in place as part of the development. 

Q: What are the hours of operation for the extended clubhouse?

A: The extended clubhouse is not intended to operate for longer hours than it does currently. Existing uses, including the breakfast club, after-school club and holiday clubs, will continue as they do today, with the majority of activity taking place during normal daytime hours. Any functions or events will continue to operate broadly in line with the clubhouse's existing arrangements. 

Visual Impact

Q: How will it look from the street / neighbouring gardens?

A: The new clubhouse will be slightly taller than the existing building However, it has been designed so that the main glazing and windows face towards the football pitch rather than neighbouring properties, helping to minimise overlooking and protect the privacy of nearby residents. The building will remain within the existing club site, and while there will be a visible change in its appearance, the design has been developed to integrate with the existing ground. 

Q: Will you be removing any trees?

A: On the contrary, the club intends to enhance the site by planting additional trees, shrubs and other landscaping, improving the appearance of the ground and increasing biodiversity. The proposals do not require the removal of any existing trees.

Planning & Process

Q: Has this been approved already? 

A: No. Planning permission has not yet been granted. The club is carrying out a public consultation before submitting its planning application so that local residents can view the proposals, ask questions and provide feedback. As per your invitation flyer, the first public consultation event will be held on Thursday 16 July, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, at the WDCFC Clubhouse. 

Q: Who do we complain to if we object?

A: We encourage anyone with questions, comments or concerns to attend the consultation event on 16 July, where members of the club and the project team will be available to discuss the proposals. If you are unable to attend, or would like to submit comments before or after the event, you can email hello@houriganplanning.com with the subject line "WDCFC future plans". Once the planning application has been submitted and validated, Manchester City Council will also carry out a formal consultation, giving residents the opportunity to submit comments or objections directly to the Council.

Community Benefit

Q: What's actually in it for us as residents, not just club members?

A: The proposals are about creating a facility that the whole community can use, not just the football club. We want local residents to feel that this is a community asset they can be proud of. The extended clubhouse is intended to provide a welcoming space for local people and community organisations, and we are actively encouraging both new and existing community groups to make use of the facilities. 

Q: Will local groups be able to use the facilities?

A: Yes. Providing a better space for the local community is one of the main reasons for extending the clubhouse. There are very few local venues that offer modern, flexible facilities within a fully secure site, and we already receive more requests than we can accommodate with our existing clubhouse. The new space will allow us to support a much wider range of community groups, activities and events throughout the year. 

We hope you can join us on Thursday 16 July and we will look forward to discussing our plans with you then.