Wakefield Trinity given huge cash injection necessary for redevelopment of Belle Vue

Wakefield Trinity have been given some superb news this afternoon.

£8.8 million has been released to help the West Yorkshire redevelop Belle Vue in order to secure their Super League status.

A report to Wakefield Council’s Cabinet stated: “Failure to secure improvements to the stadium presents a direct threat to the future of professional sport in the district and the future of the club itself,” according to Wakefield Express.

In the past, planning consent was granted for commercial development of greenbelt land at Stanley which would coincide with Newmarket Lane Limited’s proposal for a new stadium.

But there has been a long drawn-out saga with the developer instead applying for planning consent to build warehouses on the site earmarked for the new ground, promising to fund the Belle Vue revamp.

That agreement would only go ahead, however, provided the warehouses were approved and built.

Wakefield Council Leader Denise Jeffrey told the meeting: “Let’s just hope this is finally the end and Wakefield Trinity will get a new stadium and we can move on.”

Chairman John Minards had previously said: “I’m fantastically excited.

“It’s been a long time coming – this club is 150 years old next year and the last 50 years – which I can speak of – it has needed it since then.

“We’ve been on this plan for about three years, but it’s a £12 million project.

“We have the wonderful floodlights which we put in last year, but the big flagship is the East Stand which we will replace with a big new, 2,500 seater stand with all the facilities we need.

“It will have everything you need for match day hospitality – a big restaurant for 250 people and on non-match days it will be a facility on the other 350 days of the year.”

It means that Trinity will be on track in time for demolition and construction to start after the home game against Wigan on 3 July 2022.