Commonwealth Games stadium revamp faces tight schedule

A £72m revamp of the Alexander Stadium ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games is due to be completed just three months before the event starts.

Plans to almost quadruple the size of the stadium were approved in January.

The work was originally due to end by late 2021, but councillors were told it would now be April 2022, with the event starting in July, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Birmingham City Council said the work was on schedule and on budget.

The council also said it estimated the athletes village would be completed by 31 March 2022 and that a "detailed analysis of the impact of Covid-19 is being undertaken in collaboration with partners".

The latest dates were featured in the minutes from last month's full council meeting in response to questions from councillors.

Under the stadium makeover, permanent capacity will increase to 18,000, with temporary seating taking it up to a limit of 40,000 spectators.

New 400m relay and warm-up tracks will be built, along with extra parking and bus provision.

The council described 1 April as the "practical completion date" for the stadium to allow the 2022 organising committee to have " exclusive use of the site" and get it "games ready".

Meanwhile, no official completion date has ever been issued for the athletes village, with indications that it would be completed in "early 2022", the LDRS said.

However, the council had previously announced it would be handing the village over to the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee by 31 March.

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