Leicester City complex set to be ‘most advanced in Europe’
Firm in charge of development says plans are breathtaking
LEICESTER City’s new training ground will be “the most advanced in Europe”, say the engineering specialists hired to oversee the £100 million project.
Manchester-based TRP Consulting will be in charge of the development of City’s state-ofthe-art training facility in Charnwood, based at the 185-acre former Park Hill Golf Club site off the A46.
The plans include 12 full-size pitches, together with various smaller pitches and outdoor training areas, plus a full-size indoor pitch within a signature central building.
The plans were drawn up by KSS architects, who planned Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground and Liverpool’s new main stand developments as well as Number One Court at Wimbledon and Twickenham’s East Stand.
TRP director Geoff Wilks said the City plans were “breathtaking”.
“This is a fantastic sporting facility that is being described as the most advanced in Europe,” he told Insider Media Ltd.
“We’re delighted to have been appointed to work with KSS, one of the leading sports architects in the world, on the development, which is breathtaking in its scope.
City also have plans to redevelop the East Stand at King Power Stadium to increase the total capacity to about 40,000, but the training ground is the first project to be undertaken.
The new training facility was one of the dreams of City’s late chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who believed the site could help propel the club towards competing with Europe’s elite clubs by helping attract players.
City have not revealed what they plan to do with their current training facility at Belvoir Drive, which has been their training base since 1963.
City’s training facility will include:
• A covered show pitch with 499 seats, spectator toilets and an elevated camera platform. • 12 full size football pitches. • Six part-size grass pitches. • Two goalkeeper areas. • One attacking area. • Five warm-up and technical training areas. • A sports hall. • A training centre to be used by the first team and academy with hydrotherapy, medical, rehabilitation and dining facilities.
• It will also have education facilities, offices, and 30 bedrooms for the players and management.
• Stores and its own power plant.
• 421 parking spaces with eight coach parking bays with coach parking bays with disabled and electric car parking spaces.
• The UK’s first sports turf academy to train groundsmen.