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.
đď¸ 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
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 âmuseumâ.
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.
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: âWe are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
âA contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
âIt should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
âBy stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leedsâs oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.â
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Clementine Hall -
12th January 2026 
