LONDON: One of England’s iconic cricket grounds, The Kia Oval is all set for a comprehensive revamp following the conclusion of the 2019 cricket season. It will be phased over one and a half years and is due to be completed by the start of the 2021 season. The seating capacity of The Oval is expected to rise to 28,000 during this period, an increase of 3,500 from the existing one.
The stadium’s Lock Laker Stand will be developed into a three-tier one built in between the Micky Stewart Members’ Pavilion and the Peter May Stand, with considerable new facilities for match day experience, conference and events and hospitality included in new buildings that will link to the stand, known as One Oval Square.
The scheme has been designed by architect Rolfe Judd, who also designed the new Peter May Stand that was opened in 2015 and has quickly become one of the ground’s most popular locations.
Surrey club CEO Richard Gould said: “Receiving planning permission for this new development is fantastic news for the club as we continue to improve all aspects of the Kia Oval. It will add a significant number of extra seats, alongside new facilities to further improve people’s experience when they watch cricket here.
“As evidenced by the thousands of new members joining our club – and the record-breaking number of Ashes tickets sold to Members in the last ten days, the demand to watch world class cricket at the Kia Oval has never been stronger.
“This development allows us to increase the capacity of the ground to nearly 28,000 – and the One Oval Square development will hugely improve the facilities available for holding Conferences and Events at the ground, a side of our business that has multiplied many times over in recent years and now has the opportunity to move to the next level.”
