Wrexham’s rise continues with cup wins and a strong showing in League Two, but Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney appear to be encountering opposition off the pitch.
Wrexham’s plans for a luxurious 5,500-seater stand at the Racecourse Ground have been derailed by the local council’s desire to reduce that number.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have made no secret of their desire to rebuild the stadium’s famous Kop Stand, which has sat empty for years. The plans were revealed in May, with construction set to begin in early June following Wrexham’s historic promotion to League Two.
The stand will include a hospitality suite, retail space, and facilities for the Wrexham AFC Community Trust, in addition to more seats. With the addition of the stand, the stadium will also be granted Uefa Category 4 status and will be able to host international games.
Co-chairmen Reynolds and McElhenney pleaded with Wrexham council and the Welsh government to approve the job in June 2022. “Back in February 2021, when we first became custodians of the Club, it was identified that converting the Racecourse Ground to a four-sided stadium was a priority for us,” they said in a joint statement.
The desire to achieve this goal has only been heightened by the fact that sold-out signs were a regular feature at the Racecourse Ground, and we want the Club to be accessible to everyone, so increased capacity is critical.”
We would like to encourage everyone to support the planning application when it is submitted, and we would like to thank Wrexham Council, the Welsh Government, and Wrexham Glyndwr University (all together) for their assistance.
Local councillors rejected the plans on environmental grounds, so those pleas were in vain. They are concerned that the phosphate levels from the construction work will pollute the local rivers.
Despite the fact that planning permission was granted more than a year ago, and councillors are still happy for a 4,900-seater stand to exist, it is a setback for Reynolds and McElhenney, who had hoped for an extra 600 seats.
“The council hereby confirms that it considers the amendments, as described in the application, to be material,” according to a statement on the refusal. Your request for a non-material amendment to the aforementioned planning permission has been denied.
The applicant is informed that he or she does not have the right to appeal the council’s refusal to grant this non-material amendment. The applicant should contact the council to discuss other options and procedures for changing the existing planning permission. Prior to preparing detailed plans, the applicant should contact the council’s head of community wellbeing and development.”
The new stand will be unveiled before the 2024/25 season.
