Hearts to begin work on new 7,000-capacity stand in autumn

Hearts owner Ann Budge wants the new stand finished by early in the 2017/18 season. Picture: John Devlin

It will take Tynecastle’s capacity to over 20,000 and is part of a wider redevelopment which owner Ann Budge hopes will regenerate the Gorgie/Dalry area.

She is also seeking to develop the area beneath the Wheatfield Stand and construct a new artificial pitch for community use behind that stand.

The old Tynecastle main stand was designed by  the renowned stadium architect Archibald Leitch but is now 101 years old and lacks the facilities required of a modern stadium.

The new stand will house 7,000 supporters and incorporate new hospitality suites, offices, club shop and ticket office.

Budge said: “This exciting project involves far more than just building a new stand… it is about revitalising the entire stadium and indeed regenerating the wider Gorgie/Dalry area. The centre piece will be a visually-dramatic new main stand that will replace our 101 year-old Archibald Leitch-designed stand and help create a totally new look to McLeod Street, which will blend in with the new Tynecastle High School.

“Our wide-ranging plans also include developing the under-croft in the Wheatfield Stand and, in conjunction with NB Distillers, evaluating the construction of a new 3G pitch for community use behind the Wheatfield Stand. At the heart of it all will be a magnificent new main stand with a capacity of over 7000 seats, all of which will have a superb view of the pitch.

“The result will be a modern stadium boasting a ground capacity in excess of 20,000.”

Budge said that designs for the new stand are close to completion and Hearts will soon submit a pre-application notice to the council’s planning department. This will be followed by a public consultation process and the eventual submission of a detailed planning application eight weeks later.

Budge added in a statement on the club’s website: “All going well, preparatory work should start in autumn of this year, with a view to having the new stand available for early in the 2017/18 season.

“This is a very tight timescale but I am hopeful that with lots of hard work and co-operation this can be achieved.”

ynecastle’s capacity will be signficanly reduced while the work is being done and Budge appealed for fans to be patient.

A separate planning application for the development of the under-croft of the Wheatfield Stand

has already been submitted.