An expansion of Leeds United's Elland Road stadium looks set to proceed after being backed by council leaders.
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00:00It does now look like this will be England's seventh biggest football stadium.
00:05Elland Road has been Leeds United's home ground for 106 years,
00:09and proposals to increase capacity to 56,500 seats have been backed by the Council.
00:15The major regeneration vision of the Beeston-based club was discussed at a meeting of Leeds City Council's Executive Board,
00:23where members were updated on a package of ambitious plans that will transform South Leeds.
00:28An increase of the ground's capacity by around 18,500 seats will see it join the ranks of the nation's elite sporting venues,
00:37and the project will be made possible with the sale of council land to the club owners, with around 30 acres set to be sold.
00:44With a potential mass rapid transit link for South Leeds, a report has outlined a unique opportunity for Elland Road to become a year-round destination,
00:53potentially giving a boost to the local economy, while supporting the Council's broader inclusive growth ambitions.
01:00Deputy Council Leader Jonathan Pryor has said that building work on the ground could start within the next 12 months,
01:06with a planning application being drawn up and a public consultation to be held.
01:11Leader of the City's Conservative Group, Alan Lamb, welcomed the expansion scheme,
01:16saying that Leeds should be a Premier League city in every single respect.
01:20Council has agreed to proceed with the land sale and enter into a formal agreement with Leeds United's development partner.
01:27Leeds secured automatic promotion to the Premier League, with a memorable 6-0 victory over Stoke on Easter Monday.
01:33The City is expected to host a parade for the team, whatever the result of the remaining games of the season,
01:38which will be welcome news to fans who missed out on celebrations in 2020 when Bielsa's team won the division.