Expansion plans for Franklin's Gardens confirmed

The venue's new North Stand would turn Franklin's Gardens into a wraparound arena and in the process complete the redevelopment of the home of the 2000 Heineken Cup winners which was started a decade ago.
Designed by Peter Haddon Partnership, who have had a long-standing close relationship with the club since the early-1960s, the new North Stand would see the capacity increase to just under 15,500, including 10 corporate hospitality boxes, a function suite that can seat up to 270 people, a state-of-the-art stadium control room and television studio, a ground floor bar for supporters and full facilities for disabled fans. The development is scheduled to take place in the summer of 2013.
Saints chairman Leon Barwell said that the confirmation of the plans marked a big step forward in the continuing development not just of Franklin's Gardens but the club as a whole.
"The development of Franklin's Gardens is a long-standing issue, and we believe we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel," Barwell said. "Although we have had plans for the North Stand we have also been talking in abstracts about the timeline for the development.
"We are therefore very pleased to be in the position to confirm not just what the new North Stand will look like, but also when we intend for the development to take place. This gives us plenty of time to put together a planning application that takes into account every possible aspect and ensures that we will not be doing a rush job for the sake of it.
"The expansion of Franklin's Gardens is crucial in the long-term development of the club and we want to make sure we do it right."
The Saints originally announced draft plans for a new North Stand in May 2009. The more recent plans have been amended from those of just two years ago, and Barwell explained why the changes have been made.
"We believe that the plans we have announced suit our needs perfectly," he added. "They still represent the biggest single increase in capacity in the club's history and when we are filling the seats week in, week out, we will be in the top five clubs in Europe in terms of average attendances at our regular home ground.
"We will also have the option of using stadium:mk in Milton Keynes, which will be increasing in capacity up to 32,000 in the next 12 months and would give many more supporters the opportunity to watch the Saints than we could ever fit into Franklin's Gardens.
"We remain committed to the town of Northampton but we also have to ensure that the Saints do not get left behind in what is a very competitive sport. This development will give us the ability to continue our investment in the playing side of the club, including spending up to the limits of the salary cap, while continuing the sustainability of the club as a business, which after all is in the interests of everyone associated with the club."
The increase in capacity would also see Franklin's Gardens meet ERC's requirements for a Heineken Cup quarter final. But Barwell also said that the development was not about just a one-off match, rather about giving more people the opportunity to watch the Saints week in, week out throughout the nine month season.
"Big matches like a Heineken Cup quarter final are great, but we have to take into account our bread and butter first, which of course means the Aviva Premiership and the pool stages in Europe," he said.
"We believe that a 15,000 stadium packed to capacity is better than 20,000 capacity arena that is only half-full or two-thirds full. It creates a better atmosphere that the team can thrive off and means we can continue our tradition of providing a big match experience that lives long in the memory.
"The development of Franklin's Gardens is a win-win for everyone concerned, and we look forward to progressing with the expansion of the stadium in the next two years."