The phased plan will commence with the redevelopment of the Warner Stand in the autumn of 2014 and finish with the reconstruction of the Compton and Edrich Stands in 2027.
The masterplan has been informed by MCC’s 10-year Strategic Plan, which was adopted in late 2012. Consequently, the need for the Club to secure two Tests and two ODIs in years where there are two touring teams underpins the entire masterplan.
The Strategic Plan commits the Club to ensuring that Lord’s is the finest ground in the world, and, aside from improvements to facilities, the masterplan reflects the importance placed on: retaining the size of both the Main and Nursery Grounds; establishing individual, architecturally-significant stands; and maintaining the unique character of Lord’s with gardens and trees.
The plan was compiled by MCC’s Ground Working Party (GWP), presented to the Committee on April 10. It is estimated that the entire project will cost between £180 million - £200 million. The first phases of development, totaling £90 million from 2014-2019, will be funded entirely from the Club’s own resources. The remaining phases, from 2021-2027, will be funded through a combination of MCC funds and sensible levels of borrowing.
MCC President, Mike Griffith, said: "This masterplan has cricket at its heart. Every MCC Member cares deeply for our wonderful Ground, and we have a duty to ensure any changes made to Lord’s reflect the love we have for cricket, its history and its heritage.
"Lord’s is the Home of Cricket and this masterplan will reinforce the special place the Ground has within the game by making it even better for every player and spectator who comes here. This is an incredibly exciting day not just for MCC, but for cricket lovers all over the world."
Colin Maber, the Chairman of MCC’s Ground Working Party and Estates committee, said: “The masterplan has been designed to provide a framework within which Ground development over the next 15 years can be set. "The phased approach allows room for flexibility and evolution. Our key principles – on the absolute need to retain the size of both grounds, on keeping Lord’s as a Ground rather than making it a stadium, on the importance of green open spaces, and on enhancing the experience for every visitor – will underpin all we do.
"It is advanced work in progress, but can be flexed to reflect changing economic circumstances, technology and research."
MCC is not seeking planning permission for the masterplan as a whole. Instead the masterplan provides a long-term context for separate planning applications. It is proposed that the first application – for the new Warner Stand and the new Garden Entrance at Grove End Road will be submitted to Westminster City Council at the end of this year. Approval for these projects will be sought from MCC Members in the spring of 2014, upon receipt of planning permission.
Source: Lord’s
