Manchester United is moving ahead with its massive Old Trafford redevelopment project even after Andy Burnham officially stepped down as Greater Manchester mayor. The club is confident the plan won’t lose steam under new leadership.
Burnham won the Makerfield by-election last week, which forced him to vacate the mayor’s office and trigger a fresh election. Some had worried his departure could create a roadblock for United’s proposed 100,000-seat stadium, the largest in the UK. But according to multiple sources at the BBC, the club sees things differently.
The MDC is locked in
Simon Stone reports that United believes the Mayoral Development Corporation is legally binding and was created by Parliament. That means only the national government can scrap it, not a new mayor. “Multiple sources have told BBC Sport the MDC is legally binding and has been constituted by Parliament, so only the Government can scrap it,” Stone wrote.
United feels the project can keep rolling no matter who wins the next mayoral election or what party they belong to. The stadium is expected to cost more than £2 billion.
Lord Sebastian Coe chairs the MDC. The club is also hopeful it can finalize a deal with Freightliner this summer to acquire the land needed for construction.
What’s at stake
The wider Old Trafford regeneration goes way beyond a stadium. It’s projected to inject £7.3 billion annually into the UK economy, support 92,000 jobs, and deliver over 17,000 new homes. The new stadium itself would sit on club-owned land next to the current Old Trafford site.
United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has repeatedly called the project the “Wembley of the North.” The club announced plans in March of last year to leave Old Trafford and build the new venue from scratch. The current stadium has been home since 1910, but the club sees this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Burnham had been a strong supporter of the plan. The Times had previously suggested his exit could create a “period of uncertainty” if a new mayor decided to withhold funding, steer toward residential development, or refuse compulsory land acquisition. But United’s public stance is that none of those scenarios will stop the project.
It’s a big bet on a new chapter. And the club is acting like it’s already a done deal.
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