Wakefield Trinity

Billington Structures is delighted to be playing a role in the redevelopment of Wakefield Trinity’s stadium which will be completed in time to celebrate the club’s 150th anniversary.

The Belle Vue stadium has been the home of Wakefield Trinity since 1895 and is one of the oldest rugby league grounds in the country. The stadium is in the middle of a £12m redevelopment programme which will bring it up to modern standards.

Designed by AFL Architects, the redevelopment plan consists of a new 2,600-capacity steel-framed east stand, the refurbishment of the north stand with new steel elements, floodlight upgrades to the latest LED technology and a 4G pitch. Overall, the completion of the work will increase the stadium’s capacity from its current 7,258 up to 8,866 seats.

The new east stand measures approximately 95 metres long and 30 metres wide. It will replace an old structure that was previously demolished by main contractor, Morgan Sindall. Demolition took place during the rugby league season, and once the plot had been cleared, a new installation and pad foundation was introduced.

The new single-tiered stand has a 17 metre-deep cantilevering roof and a steel-framed structure. Behind the seated area, steel beams support a metal decked composite floor to create a first-floor hospitality restaurant, kitchen and plant decks.

Using a mobile crane, Billington Structures initially erected the entire steel-framed stand, apart from the roof. This allowed follow-on trades to begin the metal decking for the first floor, while Billington Structures began a second phase of their erection programme. This included installing the stand’s precast terrace units and completing the roof.

The final steelwork installation and erection phase was completed one bay at a time, using a crane positioned between the stand and the pitch. As well as erecting the structural steelwork for the east stand, Billington Structures also installed 8 tonnes of steelwork on the north stand.

The east stand’s main columns are set out on a 7.6m x 4m grid pattern, with the back portion of the structure and part of the area below the terracing creating a ground floor fan concourse that will include two entrances, retail outlets and a ticket office. There will also be home and away team facilities, staff and matchday official’s rooms, and a conference area.

The new east stand will be an impactful focal point for the redeveloped Wakefield Trinity stadium and is scheduled to be ready in the summer, allowing spectators to use the new facilities for part of the historic season.