Yorkshire County Cricket Club and rugby league club Leeds Rhinos have pleaded with the local council to make a quick decision on their planning application to redevelop Headingley Stadium.
Leeds City Council will hold a planning committee on 12 January 2017, and both clubs are asking for an outcome following the meeting.
Last month the clubs revealed that redevelopment work had to be put on hold after failing to secure the appropriate planning permission. Work was scheduled to begin next month.
The decision to postpone has caused concern that the stadium – which homes both the cricket ground and rugby league pitch – would not be completed in time to host several key international fixtures, such as matches from the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
In the meantime, both Yorkshire CCC and Leeds Rhinos have withdrawn residential planning applications for developments which were going to contribute to the overall cost of the stadium project.
Mark Arthur, Yorkshire CCC chief executive, said it was “essential that a solution is found” so the ground can host 2019 Cricket World Cup matches.
“To deliver the £39m Headingley Stadium redevelopment, which everyone wants, we have to find a solution to the funding issue and both Leeds Rhinos and Yorkshire CCC are working hard, with the help of Leeds City Council, to explore all options,” added Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington.
