The expansion of Elland Road Stadium will be launched in September, with the West and North Stands being the focus

According to Dan Sheldon, a senior sports reporter at The Athletic, Leeds United will expand the Elland Road Stadium to a capacity of 56,500 people after returning to the Premier League.

Leeds United waved goodbye to the Championship in West Yorkshire. Over the years, they have witnessed numerous opponents’ miserable defeats, hoping this is the last time they have experienced the icy English football league in West Yorkshire, and optimists hope it is a farewell forever.

's advancement is a foregone conclusion, and Monday's game against Bristol City is more like a celebration. The game lacked the intense, sharp and eager desire to play against Stoke City last week, but the home team still had an overwhelming advantage in Monday's 4-0 victory. It's hard to believe that this team is the fifth-ranked team in the league, losing only two of the last 13 games, is still fighting for play-off spots, and they are now visiting Leeds United.

Falke and his team will have a championship unless an accident occurs on Saturday at the nearly relegated Plymouth Stadium. This will be the reward they deserve to score 100 points this season and become one of the most dominant seasons in club history. These trophys will give them some show-off capital in the march next Monday, and that's what the upgrade means for Leeds.

The Championship team, which will return to the Premier League in the 2025-26 season, has received approval from Leeds City Council and will add nearly 20,000 seats to Elland Road Stadium.

TA has seen the planning outline and revealed that the work will begin in September. Although the club has obtained planning permission to expand the capacity of Elland Road Stadium to 56,500, the document clearly stipulates that the maximum capacity is 53,000.

This means that Leeds United will be able to accommodate more fans after completion than Everton's new stadium (52,888 spectators) at Bramley Moore Marina and Newcastle United's St James Park Stadium (52,305 spectators).

The architects responsible for the development and construction of Elland Road Stadium were also involved in the expansion of the home stands of the Anfield Stadium, Liverpool's main stadium and the construction of Leicester City's most advanced training facilities. According to their expansion plan, the North Stand is currently in the design stage. What has been announced by

? On April 23, Leeds City Council approved two important recommendations to ensure that the expansion plan becomes a reality. The first proposal they signed was to negotiate the sale of land owned by the City Council behind the Elland Road Don Reevy (North) stands and John Charles (West) stands. This means that Leeds United can now purchase land from Parliament at independent assessment and at current market prices. The second proposal approved by the Council is that they will sign a memorandum of understanding, a non-binding agreement between the two or more parties, to cooperate with the club’s development partner, the Roy Family Group. This agreement between the Council and Leeds United allowed them to jointly develop a revival strategy for the land owned by the Council around Elland Road, including the parking transfer facility next to Fullerton Park, Lowfields Road and parking lots on both sides of Wesley Street.

Leeds United may seek comprehensive planning permission for part of the Elland Road reconstruction project here, while outlining planning permission for another part of the same location under the same application. Leeds United's plan is to seek comprehensive planning permission for the West Stand and outline plans for the North Stand, with detailed designs to be submitted later. They are common in major developments because it enables work at one stage of the site to begin early before the final plan for other parts of the site is announced. The plan for the West Stand is to expand its capacity from 8,000 to 17,750, while the North Stand (if they determine the detailed plan in the outline) will increase its capacity from 10,401 to 15,300.

What is the plan to rebuild the West Stand? The reconstruction plan for the West Stand will extend to Fullerton parking lot and will include “a wider range of facilities and experiences for game and non-match days” as described in the expansion plan document.

As part of the plan, the first phase will build new levels, new roofs and interior spaces, and then demolish the northwest corner while building a new facade.

The construction workers will then demolish and renovate the west and southwest corners and build the roof before construction on the lower and northwest corners retained by the west stands.

The document states that the stand "will be similar to the existing East stand" with an existing capacity of 14,900 people, totaling three floors. Early site works are expected to begin in September, but construction of the West Stand is not expected to begin until May 2026 and will continue until the fourth quarter of 2028. How about the

North stand? How do you plan to build it? The construction plan for the

North Stand has not been finalized and is still in the planning stage, which means that it looks different from what it looks after the reconstruction is completed. The mixed plan application pointed out that the North Stand is the second phase of the reconstruction plan and will be carried out simultaneously with the construction of the West Stand, but the North Stand will not be completed two years later than the West Stand.

As part of the yet-finalized hybrid plan, the North Stand will retain its lower floor while building a new upper floor as well as the interior space. The

plan emphasizes that the comprehensive renovation project will not be completed until the fourth quarter of 2030 (October to December), and the North Stand will also be opened by that time. The specific time depends on the final design of the North Stand. The renovation of the two stands will be carried out in phases to ensure that Elland Road Stadium can continue to operate during the reconstruction period and minimize interference and without losing seat capacity.

What are their plans for the interior of the ground?

Like many stadium reconstruction projects, it can be foreseen that a new catering area, Elland Road Stadium, will be no exception. Early renderings show that these dining areas will offer a wider range of dining options than the Eland Road Stadium currently.

The program also aims to create “diversified spaces and experiences” to “encourage people to arrive early and extend their stay” while also creating opportunities for non-match days to use these facilities.

The possibility of upgrading and revamping of the South Stand

Leeds United are exploring the possibility of upgrading and revamping the South Stand, which may increase the number of visitors to the average audience. However, these plans did not appear in the outline. The consultation process for the South Stand has begun and the club is seeking feedback from fans.

The plan also shows that the reconstruction will ensure that the Elland Road Stadium “can host sustained growth matches”, which shows that both the men’s and women’s teams have the potential to host international matches.

Other activities include FIFA and UEFA Championships, International Rugby League, Boxing Competitions, Concerts and Festivals. The social and economic section of the document states that the reconstruction will create “120 to 205 new permanent jobs” for the club and its foundation, while the number of visitors to the Elland Road Stadium is expected to increase from 1.4 million to 2 million each year.

The overall added value is expected to be between £22 million and £29 million (US$29.3 million to US$38.6 million), thanks to direct economic benefits, indirect tourism benefits, as well as indirect supply chain and inducing benefits.