Sport

Manchester United’s Old Trafford regeneration project backed by UK government

'The project around Old Trafford represents the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012'

Danny Jones - 26th January 2025

Manchester United have officially received government backing for the redevelopment of their stadium and the wider regeneration of the surrounding Old Trafford area.

One of the first things that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS Group made a priority after acquiring their minority stake in the club was to bring the home ground up to standard and it looks as though that rather large task is now moving in the right direction.

With Chancellor Rachel Reeves dubbing the Old Trafford Regeneration Project as “a shining example” of the Labour plans to promote economic growth, Man United now have the full blessing of the government ahead of the real work beginning.

Liaising with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Trafford Council specifically to bring plans to fruition, the Old Trafford area as we know is set to be transformed significantly, with a new ‘Wembley of the North’ being the key component of the project.

ℹ️ The Old Trafford Regeneration Project has been backed by the government.#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 26, 2025

The backing of the government means that beyond the club simply paying to redevelop the stadium itself, this will allow for other aspects such as improved transport infrastructure, housing and new businesses to be created as part of Old Trafford’s regeneration.

It’s also worth noting that no public money is on the table at present, with Ratcliffe, the Glazers and co. expected to foot the bill for all facets.

Reacting to the official statement by the UK Treasury, CEO Omar Berrada said: “The delivery of a world-class stadium can be the catalyst for major regeneration of an area of Greater Manchester which requires new investment to thrive again.

“We cannot achieve that wider aim on our own, which is why we welcome the announcement by the Chancellor and the ongoing support of the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Trafford Council.

If we work together, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a landmark project around Old Trafford that the whole region can be proud of.”

man united old trafford redevelopment — This might not be Man United’s home forever. (Credit: *The Manc Group*)

man united stadium regeneration — This might not be Man United’s home forever. (Credit: *The Manc Group*)

As for the Mayor of Greater Manchester Mayor himself – who was appointed as a key figure on the Old Trafford Regeneration Taskforce – Andy Burnham went on to add: “With our devolved powers we’re mobilising the whole Greater Manchester system to lock in growth for the next decade and reap the rewards for our city-region and UK plc.

Burnham has made no secret of how ‘generational’ he believes this particular project could be since it was officially announced and now believes it to be instrumental in the region’s overall 10-year plan.

“We look forward to working with the Government on moving freight away from the site around Old Trafford to new locations to open up capacity for our rail network and unlock massive regeneration potential”, he continued, insisting that it will lead to “benefits across the whole of the North.”

Although it still remains unconfirmed whether or not the existing Old Trafford structure will be renovated – which would see an increased capacity of around 87,000 – or whether an entirely new 100k-seater stadium will be built instead, though the most recent fan survey seemed to favour the latter.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Manchester United (via website/X)