It’s the news all Leeds supporters have been hoping for as planning permission for the Elland Road stadium expansion has been approved.
The best part? It will make Elland Road stadium the seventh largest club stadium in the UK.
The application was put forward to Leeds City Council today (Thursday 8 January), where councillors voted 11 to 1 in favour of the redevelopment.
The application included a detailed plan for the West Stand, along with an outline for the North Stand for the evolution of Elland Road, taking the overall capacity to approximately 53,000 from 37,000.
🏟️ Leeds United Football Club can today confirm that planning permission has been granted for the long-awaited expansion of Elland Road Stadium, a historic milestone for the club, its supporters and the city of Leeds
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 8, 2026
The Kop and the West Stand will be partially demolished and expanded with The West Stand doubling in size with space for 17,750 fans, a sensory room and even a ‘museum’.
The plans also took into account not only greater general admission numbers but demands for hospitality facilities as well, with approximately 26k currently on the waiting list for a season ticket.
The expansion of the stadium is expected to generate a whopping 600,000 new visitors per year.
There’s no exact timeframe for when it will be complete, but it is hoped that it will be complete before the Women’s World Cup in 2035.
Concerns about travel, disruption for nearby residents and parking were voiced but council members were still strongly in favour of the planning application.
Announcing the news to X, Leeds United said: “Leeds United Football Club can today confirm that planning permission has been granted for the long-awaited expansion of Elland Road Stadium, a historic milestone for the club, its supporters and the city of Leeds”
This is brilliant news for the city and we can’t wait to see the final product.
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Featured image – Leeds United
