Scottish Championship football club Dumbarton has revealed plans for a new 4,000-capacity stadium to replace the club’s present home, which it only moved to in 2000.
The reason for the relatively sudden move is so that the club can build “a centre of excellence for sport, health and wellbeing.”
The plans include a 4,000 capacity football stadium comprising 3,000 seats and 1,000-person capacity terracing that can be delivered in separate phases. The proposal includes complementary non-football related offerings including gym/leisure facilities, a hotel, conferencing facilities, a restaurant, shop and offices, dedicated training facilities and additional playing pitches for community use.
The plans – which have been in the works for five years – would double the club’s current ground capacity, which also currently serves as the Scottish national team’s training base.
Dumbarton said in a statement that planning restrictions and the proximity of housing mean that, despite having three unused sides around the stadium ripe for expansion, plans cannot be accommodated at the existing site.
A formal planning application for the site at Young’s Farm to the west of the town will be lodged with West Dumbartonshire Council in January, following a consultation process, which will include a public exhibition on 6 and 7 November. Costs, designers and construction firms for the project have yet to be revealed.
