Hillsborough Planning Permission Granted

Wednesday have announced that planning permission to increase the Hillsborough capacity and make improvements to the stadium have been given the green light.

Yesterday, Sheffield City Council gave planning permission for the Owls to go ahead with their plans to turn Hillsborough into a community stadium which will fit the bill for England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

The £22 million development will be funded partly by government grants and partly by increased revenue the club hopes to start making.

It will see the Hillsborough capacity increased to 44,825 with the building of a new roof for the Kop, and no restricted view seating as a result, plus new learning zones, classrooms and enterprise zones to make Hillsborough part of the community on a full-time basis.

Owls chairman Lee Strafford told the official SWFC site: 'It is great news that our plans for the future of this great stadium have been granted full planning permission.

'Sheffield City Council has recognised the strong community aspects of our design and we are looking forward to making Sheffield Wednesday an iconic home for our team, our supporters and our community fit for the 21st century.'

The improvements will take place over four phases and it's hoped the all-new Hillsborough will be complete by 2013.

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