Man Utd’s £2bn stadium taxpayer row « Euro Weekly News

Andy Burnham has been firm in his stance that “no public money” will go toward Manchester United’s £2bn stadium, but he’s still eyeing £300m of taxpayer funds for the wider Old Trafford regeneration project – raising questions about where the line between club investment and public spending really lies.

It’s the mega-money move that’s got tongues wagging across the land: Manchester United are edging closer to building a spectacular £2bn stadium fit for 100,000 cheering fans. The Red Devils plan to knock down the old Theatre of Dreams and construct a truly colossal new home, all while promising not a single penny of public money will go towards the build itself. But how accurate are these claims?

There has been much controversy surrounding United’s new stadium project. From media speculation to petitions demanding no public money be used to fund one of football’s biggest clubs – just outside Manchester.

Mayor Andy Burnham makes his stance crystal clear

Speaking in front of a jam-packed crowd at this year’s MIPIM property event in Cannes, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham took a firm stance: “It is for Manchester United to fund their new home… There will be no public money, and that will not change in the duration of this project,” firmly slamming the door on rumours of council or taxpayer help to finance the stadium itself.

Land assembly the real battleground

While the Reds say the stadium will be entirely self-financed, there is one tricky hurdle that could see public funds come into play: land assembly. Manchester United needs to gobble up a few extra parcels for the new ground, including a Freightliner terminal that’s currently in the club’s way. According to Mayor Burnham, this is where local authorities may help, potentially through the mayoral development corporation he’s setting up to push the Old Trafford area’s regeneration.

“That is where the public money is more likely to be spent,” said Burnham, hinting that local powers could be used to move or purchase remaining land. The plan includes relocating the Freightliner terminal to IPL North in the Liverpool City Region in a move that could cost up to £300m.

Lord Coe: bigger than 2012?

Lord Sebastian Coe, who chairs the Old Trafford Regeneration Taskforce, didn’t hold back on the stadium’s potential global impact. In front of the MIPIM audience, he compared the scheme to iconic ventures of the past: “I don’t think I’m overstating when I say this actually has the potential to be, not only a bigger project than London 2012 but… probably the biggest thing that’s ever really been undertaken,” he said.

Coe even likened Old Trafford’s regeneration boost to Barcelona after the 1992 Olympics, claiming the Catalan capital surged from a relative unknown to a top-four European destination ever since. A stadium that’s bigger than Wembley? A regeneration bigger than the Olympics? It’s enough to make even the most hardened cynic do a double-take.

The petition to stop United from using public money to fund their new stadium is: https://chng.it/DsrckkYVRn  

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