Venue wanted to hold 15 non-sporting events a year, up from current permitted three, to help bankroll revamp
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has been told it won’t be able to host more than three concerts a year at Twickenham stadium after its application to hold five times that amount was turned down.
The RFU wanted to revamp the ground under ambitious proposals to improve transport links, reduce capacity to improve spectator comfort as well as stage up to 15 concerts a year.
It is currently allowed to put on three concerts a year, each with a capacity of 55,000 and wanted to expand this to 15 a year with an 82,000 capacity.
By contrast, the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which hosted a series of concerts by US singer Beyoncé in June, is allowed to hold 30 non-sporting events a year while the figure for Wembley is higher still at 32.
RFU bosses were hoping that by increasing the number of concerts held at the west London venue, the extra revenue would help bankroll the cost of the £650m redevelopment.
But many local residents voiced concern about the proposals, saying it will lead to a rise in anti-social behaviour.
The RFU, which is chaired by former Wates chairman James Wates, asked for restrictions – limiting the number of large-scale concerts – to be scrapped.
However, Richmond council only granted its new licencing application in part, allowing the stadium, now called the Allianz Stadium, to extend the hours of smaller events – but turning down the proposal to increase the number of concerts.
An RFU spokesperson said: “While the granting of this licence is a positive step towards establishing a more modern framework for stadium operations, approval was only granted in part, and we are now reviewing the outcome carefully.
“As always, we remain committed to being the best neighbours we can be – continuing to invest significantly in minimising the impact of major events and actively supporting the local community we are proud to call home.”
A host of consultants including project manager RLB, architect Populous and QS T&T Alinea have been formally confirmed as working on the masterplan to redevelop the ground.
Called the Stadium Masterplan Project, others working on the scheme include transport and civils consultant WSP, fire engineer Arup, planning consultant DP9, M&E engineer Griffiths Evans, landscape architect Planit and buildability consultant JDP London. Simply CDM is the principal designer.
The estimated cost of the work has been put at £663m with the RFU having wanted to start work after the 2027 Six Nations championship.
The new licence allows indoor events to end at 1:00AM instead of 11PM, with 36 events allowed to finish at 1:30AM. Indoor events tend to be weddings, conferences and graduation ceremonies.
No comments yet