SportBusiness.com

Arsenal get venue OK

English Premier League soccer club Arsenal can start building its new state-of-the-art stadium after the Secretary of State for Transport and Local Government said a public inquiry into the new arena would not be required.

Arsenal will move around the corner to Ashburton Grove after failing in an earlier bid to expand its current stadium in Highbury, north London.

The new stadium will cost an estimated £250million ($357m/EUR409m) and will increase the club's seating capacity to 60,000 from 38,5000 - the rise in spectators is expected to net Arsenal an extra £15m ($21.5m/EUR25m) a year.

The new stadium should be complete in time for the 2004/05 season.

David Dein, vice chairman of Arsenal Football Club will be speaking at the annual conference SportBusiness 2002: Changing the rules