Premier League’s smallest stadium gets approval to begin £90m rebuild
AFC Bournemouth have been granted planning permission for the first phase of a £90m redevelopment that will increase capacity at the Vitality Stadium to more than 20,000.
The club, whose 11,000-seat ground is the smallest in the Premier League, have been given the green light for “enabling works”, the first of three phases of improvements that are expected to be completed next year.
Bournemouth owner Bill Foley called the decision by the local council “an exciting and important moment for the club”.
He added: “Our proposed new stadium reflects not only our ambition on the pitch, but also our commitment to investing in the community.
“The project will deliver long-term benefits for supporters, local residents, and the wider region beyond the BCP [Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole] area.”
The enabling works consist of installing perimeter fencing and turnstiles, a new outside broadcast area and the enclosure of terraces within the West Stand.
Later this year Bournemouth plan to demolish and rebuild the South Stand which, along with following in corner areas, will add more than 8,000 additional seats.
The final phase will see the North and East Stands expanded horizontally and vertically, completing a process that will almost double capacity to 20,200.
Bournemouth to double stadium capacity
The 11,300-seater Vitality Stadium has comfortably the lowest capacity in the Premier League and is only marginally above the average for the fourth tier.
That reflects Bournemouth’s swift rise from League Two to the top flight between 2010 and 2015, with which the club’s facilities have not kept pace.
But American Foley, who also owns teams in France, Portugal, Croatia and New Zealand, has made stadium improvements a priority since buying the club in 2022.
After the rebuild, the Vitality Stadium will still have a lower capacity than all current Premier League clubs except Brentford, whose Gtech Community Stadium accommodates 17,250.
The Cherries are among a clutch of Premier League sides redeveloping or considering revamping their stadiums, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool, Everton and Fulham have already completed similar moves.