RESURGENT Wakefield Trinity have been given the green light by the local council to continue their ground redevelopment – including putting a roof on the terraced west side of the DIY Kitchens Stadium.
Other improvements at the historic Belle Vue venue involve a new standing section within the southern-end stand, which houses hospitality facilities, a TV gantry and studio and a bar.
Work on the west side, which between 1932 and 1986 included a 900-seater stand, comes after the completion ahead of last season of the Neil Fox MBE Stand to replace the old structure on the east. It holds 2,600 and houses modern changing rooms, hospitality and conference facilities.
The redeveloped terrace at the north end of the ground now has room for 2,500, helping boost capacity to beyond 8,850.
The work on those two areas was crucial to Trinity regaining Super League status this year via the IMG grading system.
They are among nine clubs who currently have Grade A status along with Castleford, Catalans, Hull KR, Leeds, Leigh, St Helens, Warrington and Wigan.
The decision to stay at Belle Vue and upgrade a ground which dates back to the 1870s and was used in the inaugural season of the Northern Union (now Rugby Football League) in 1895-96 came after a string of projects for a new stadium elsewhere fell through.
Construction of the Neil Fox MBE Stand and north-end terracing restructure was preceded by the installation of a new hybrid pitch ahead of the 2023 campaign, when Trinity were relegated from Super League under the old system.
The drop into the Championship was followed by the takeover of the club by businessman Matt Ellis (of DIY Kitchens) and appointment as coach of Daryl Powell, who led Trinity to Championship Grand Final success last year.
Ellis said at the time that Grade A status was the aim and that continuing the £10million-plus stadium improvement was vital to achieving and retaining it.
Plans for the latest raft of work were submitted to the council in November, with a planning officer saying: “The existing ageing and low-quality western stand would be replaced with metal cladding and a larger roof to facilitate the provision of a TV gantry.
“The stand would have an overall more modern appearance and would have a functional design.”