Birmingham City will formally submit their planning application for the Sports Quarter to Birmingham City Council in March 2027, head of infrastructure Nick Smith has confirmed. The club cannot begin construction on their 62,500-seater stadium, The Powerhouse, until planning permission is granted.
Expedited Process Expected
Smith anticipates a significantly shortened application process due to the strong relationship Knighthead has cultivated with the council over the past few years. Monthly meetings have been held to keep the council informed of plans and designs for the Sports Quarter.
"We're going to submit our planning in March next year. We visit the council every single month showing them these designs so that it's not a surprise in March," Smith explained. "What would normally take a year to determine is going to be a lot shorter."
Land Preparation Ahead of Approval
In the meantime, Knighthead will prepare the land in East Birmingham so that construction can begin immediately once the green light is received. "We're going to start preparing all the land before we get planning. The council know this. We're doing a lot of the work, adding value to the land, and we're going to do all the preparation, the cutting and the filling to get all the land ready so when we get planned we can start straight away," Smith said.
Construction Timeline
The goal is to build The Powerhouse within three years, which would allow it to open in time for the 2030/31 season. However, Smith now projects that the first match at the new home will take place in 2031. "That gives us three years to build and all the contractors that we've spoken to believe they can build it in three. Obviously we need nice winters and summers and we need resources to arrive - lots of things can happen, it's a complex project - but everyone is telling us we can do it in three and that takes us to 2030. Then we have to have testaments, we have to make sure it's safe for all of you to enjoy and we do that in the first part of 2031, then start the season 31/32."
