A WELSH Government Minister has revealed Wrexham AFC have outlined intentions to have their new Kop stand open by the summer of 2026.
The new 5,500-seater Kop stand was set to be in place by the start of the current season, but issues with planning and funding have meant excessive delays to the work starting.
The temporary Kop, which was put in place in December 2023 was expanded to hold around 3,000 as the delays with the new stand ongoing.
The club issued an update in the summer saying they were "reassessing" their plans and regular meetings were taking place to "move forward the work".
In the Senedd last week, MS for Wrexham, Lesley Griffiths questioned Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans MS on the Wrexham Gateway Project.
When asked by Ms Griffiths whether the Welsh Government remained committed to the project, Ms Evans said: "The Welsh Government is aligned with key partners in Wrexham to deliver this exciting project along Mold Road.
"Our shared ambitions of delivering an integrated public transport and active travel system and facilitating competitive international football in the north remain at the core of our involvement in the project."
To which Wrexham's MS responded: "That's really good to hear. The Wrexham Gateway project is something I've long supported because I do believe it could be truly transformational for our city.
"Working with local partners back in 2021, the Welsh Government invested £25 million, and the aim of the scheme was to regenerate the Mold Road area, as you referred to.
"It's absolutely a key corridor into Wrexham. Despite the significant setback in January 2023, when the Conservative UK Government, for a second time, rejected Wrexham's bid for levelling-up funding, the partnership adapted its plans to focus more on the western side of the scheme, as there was more of an opportunity in the immediate time to deliver tangible evidence of progress along the Mold Road.
"Frustratingly, there have been bumps in the road—for example, Wrexham AFC have had to delay the construction of a new Kop stand. And then we had a consultation, which was initiated by Transport for Wales, that finished at the end of the last year. But since that time, we've had very few updates. So, I'm grateful for the support of the Welsh Government, but I would like you to confirm your commitment to deliver this game-changing regeneration project in full, and I wonder if you could provide a timescale."
When reaffirming Welsh Government's commitment, Ms Evans also revealed that Wrexham AFC had outlined their intentions to have the new Kop stand ready for the UEFA U19's championships in the summer of 2026.
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Ms Evans replied: "I'd be absolutely more than happy to reaffirm the Welsh Government's commitment to the project, and of course to recognise Lesley Griffiths' long-standing championing of this as well. Our enthusiasm for this is unquestionable.
"We do know that Wrexham AFC has explained that its intention is to have the stadium, including the new pitch and Kop stand, ready for the UEFA under-19 championships in the summer of 2026, with north Wales hosting this competition in the Football Association of Wales's 150th anniversary year. So, it should be quite an event.
"The timeline is entirely feasible, we think, and we're more than happy to continue working alongside partners to that important goal. I do know that the delay was on the basis of wanting to create a facility that is there for the community all year round, which I think is also really, really positive.
"More widely, the Wrexham Gateway project does continue at pace, with the functionality of the public transport interchange at Wrexham General station defined, and negotiations for delivery on the city centre side of the rail line are ongoing. It is difficult to be specific about the timing at this point, but the partnership in Wrexham does still remain very focused on delivering the project in its entirety."
Wrexham AFC has been approached for a comment.
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