Manchester United’s new stadium has moved a step closer with the launch of the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation.
The club hailed the launch as a major milestone in the journey towards developing ‘a new world-class home for the club and a vibrant district around Old Trafford’.
The futuristic plans to create the world’s most sustainable stadium include a vast, umbrella-like canopy which designers Foster + Partners say will house thousands of integrated solar panels, helping generate renewable electricity to power parts of the stadium.
This could significantly reduce the stadium’s reliance on traditional energy sources, although it remains to be seen how much of the overall power consumption this would produce.
As well as harvesting solar energy, the canopy design will also collect rainwater that can be used for things like pitch irrigation and flushing toilets, reducing water waste and easing demand on local supplies.
The blueprint for the brand-new 100,000-seater ground also mapped out plans to create a walkable green space in the surrounding district – all of which will be well connected by improvements to public transport links to align the project with the city’s broader environmental goals.
With no redevelopment since 2006, the once-revered stadium now languishes in a sad state of disrepair due to years of chronic under-investment by the club’s much-loathed owners, the Glazer family.
Leaking roofs, crumbling fixtures and even rodent infestations have become the new norm, turning what was once among the world’s best football stadiums into a source of great amusement for rival fans.
However with the launch of the OTR MDC, the transformation of the 370-acre Old Trafford area – supporting the delivery of more than 15,000 new homes and 90,000 jobs, improved public spaces, and significant infrastructure benefits for supporters, residents and visitors – are closer to reality.
The developments – expected to take around five years once construction commences – are expected to add over £7 billion per year to the UK economy.
Club officials are busy working alongside the government and local authorities to secure access to public money to help pay for the gargantuan project – estimated to cost in the region of £2bn.
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“It’s an honour to represent Manchester United at the launch of the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation,” said United COO Collette Roche.
“Our ambition is to build the world’s best football stadium – one worthy of our supporters, our history and our future. We want to create the best matchday atmosphere and experience anywhere in world football, while ensuring the stadium acts as a catalyst for a vibrant new district for fans, residents and visitors.”
OTR MDC chair Lord Coe said: “Today is a defining moment, the beginning of a long-term commitment to transforming the Old Trafford area. We are now open for business – and there’s a lot to do!
“Over the next few months, we will share our outline masterplan, and we will begin to make this vision a reality.”