When picturing a game of international cricket in London, you’re most likely thinking of Lord’s, the capital’s centrepoint of the sport. It’s not referred to as the ‘Home Of Cricket’ for nothing, after all.
That very homely spot could be getting a swanky round of refurbishment, as it’s been revealed that the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), who own the ground, put forward an application to Westminster City Council to give Lords Cricket Ground some upgrades.
This would involve creating a number of new features for the ground, including a new roof and a top-floor bar, which would mean demolishing and replacing the Allen stand (the oldest stand at Lord’s, dating back to 1935), and a redevelopment job to the Tavern stand. The project, if it goes through, will also mean an increase to the Lord’s capacity by 1,107 seats, meaning the stadium could hold 32,287 people in total.
New images have been released of the proposal, which including moving a big screen to make way for the top floor bar, and also adding an entirely new roof for the Tavern Stand at Lord’s that takes inspiration from cricket slip-catching cradles. Some of the increased capacity will be thanks to the new later of seats at the Tavern Stand, and the Allen Stand would be completely rebuilt, with a bridge to the Pavillion installed.
When would the Lord’s renovation take place?
Should this go ahead, it is estimated that the Lord’s renovation would cost around £60 million and the aim would be to have the work completed by the 2027 Ashes tournament between England and Australia. The application was submitted to Westminster City Council in December, and there has since been a council officers’ report that recommends the plans for approval. Next steps mean councillors viewing the application at a planning committee meeting this week.