AFC Bournemouth has secured planning approval for its £85 million expansion of the Vitality Stadium, allowing enabling works and phased construction to begin ahead of the club’s first European campaign.
Local planners unanimously approved the redevelopment proposals, clearing the way for the Premier League’s smallest stadium to increase capacity from approximately 11,300 seats to more than 20,000.
Stadium Structures has already been appointed as preconstruction partner and main contractor for the scheme, having previously completed hospitality upgrades at the stadium.
The contractor will now oversee a phased delivery programme designed to ensure AFC Bournemouth can continue playing at the Vitality Stadium throughout construction works.
The redevelopment centres on the demolition and reconstruction of the South Stand, which will be replaced with a new 7,000-seat grandstand. The plans also include vertical and horizontal extensions to the North and East stands, alongside corner infill developments across all four corners of the stadium.
However, the club has been required to resequence parts of the construction programme after the planning process extended further into May than originally anticipated.
Initial proposals aimed to complete the lower tier of the new South Stand and corner infills before the start of the 2026/27 season, creating approximately 1,500 additional seats.
Under the revised programme, priority will instead be given to enabling works, infrastructure upgrades and maintaining operational continuity throughout the project.
This summer’s construction phase will focus on utility diversions, new perimeter fencing, turnstile installations, outside broadcast facilities and modifications to pedestrian and cycle routes. Extensions to the wings of the West Stand will also form part of the early works package.
Hospitality refurbishments within the West and East stands will proceed simultaneously, while the club will also move ahead with the North-West and South-East corner infill developments, which are expected to deliver around 800 additional seats shortly after the start of the 2026/27 season.
Under the revised construction strategy, the existing South Stand will remain operational throughout next season. Upper-tier construction is scheduled to take place during the campaign, with lower-tier redevelopment works beginning once the season has concluded.
