Castleford Tigers reveal cost of Wheldon Road redevelopment - and how much new income it will generate

Castleford Tigers have revealed how much the proposed redevelopment of their Wheldon Road stadium will cost and what it will bring in when facilities have been improved.
Thje Jungle is atmospheric, but Tigers need better facilities. Picture by Tony Johnson.Thje Jungle is atmospheric, but Tigers need better facilities. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Thje Jungle is atmospheric, but Tigers need better facilities. Picture by Tony Johnson.

The club expect the work to cost £8-10m and generate an additional £1m of revenue each year.

Tigers are set to drop plans to move to a new site near the M62 and instead focus on revamping their existing stadium, known as the Jungle.

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That is similar to the approach taken by neighbours Wakefield Trinity, who are now set to go ahead with a redevelopment of Belle Vue after decades of failed plans for a move elsewhere.

Facilities at the Jungle have fallen behind the times, Tigers accept. Picture by Tony Johnson.Facilities at the Jungle have fallen behind the times, Tigers accept. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Facilities at the Jungle have fallen behind the times, Tigers accept. Picture by Tony Johnson.

Both clubs, along with Featherstone Rovers, have been granted £2m by Wakefield council from a fund set up to keep professional rugby league alive in the district.

Tigers managing director Mark Grattan is confident the redevelopment will go ahead and said: “Provided we get the same kind of treatment [Wakefield] have got from the council planning department and we don’t get called in by the secretary of state, we are thinking we are home and dry.”

Grattan insisted the club were “very much on the verge” of proceeding with the Axiom site, at Glasshoughton, but that was knocked off course by funding issues and the pandemic.

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“We are in a fortunate position in that we’ve still got the planning permission down at the Axiom site, so if they can fund a shopping centre down there, we can go down there,” he said.

Tigers plan to remain at their current site on Wheldon Road, but the stadium will be rebuilt. Picture by Tony Johnson.Tigers plan to remain at their current site on Wheldon Road, but the stadium will be rebuilt. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Tigers plan to remain at their current site on Wheldon Road, but the stadium will be rebuilt. Picture by Tony Johnson.

But he stressed: “That is looking a little less likely, but we have got £2m from the council, part of the rugby league resilience fund, to start doing some work down here [at the Jungle].

“We have looked at some other avenues, we’ve had quite lengthy discussions with the developers over the last six-seven months about a project down here, so we have got the plans drawn up ready to go for down here.”

The centrepiece will be a new stand housing a restaurant, corporate boxes, gymnasium and changing rooms.

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“There will also be a 4g pitch and automated turnstiles and Grattan said: “We will tidy up the rest of the stadium to make it look new, fresh and modern.

“To do that, £2m is not going to get anywhere near doing that so we need a contribution from the developers around the size of the one Wakefield [Trinity] have just got through on planning.

“We are in exactly the same situation as them; we have got a developer who is willing to change the 106 agreement down at Axiom to give us the funds to develop the site up here.

“He just needs to get his consent changed from shopping centre to warehouse and distribution.

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“Provided he gets that changed, they will contribute a significant sum of money towards getting this stadium up to a really good standard.”

Of what that will mean, Grattan said, “It will give us about 400 covers on hospitality, we’ll have around 20 boxes on top of that and we can turn it into a real top-class Super League facility.”

Tigers hope to have computer generated projections of what the stadium will look like later this month and are aiming to apply for planning consent in early summer.

Grattan said using the new facilities on a daily basis would generate an initial £1m per year.

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“We spend the salary cap,” he said. “We are a really prudently-run club, we make the best of everything we’ve got, but it’s the difference between just being able to put a £2.1m Super League squad on the pitch to then being able to invest more in the women’s team, the youth set up and the scholars - and a marquee player if the coach so wishes.”

Tigers plan to play on at the Jungle, with a reduced capacity, during the work.

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