As part of the stadium redevelopment application submitted to Croydon Council, the club undertook research through Regeneris Consulting to establish the social and economic impact the proposals would bring to the borough and the people of south London. This article provides an executive summary of the boosts to the borough and beyond, with a link to the full report at the bottom.

The report confirmed that the club’s plans to redevelop Selhurst Park would generate more than £15 million for the economy and create hundreds of new jobs.

Employment



Once the upgraded stadium is fully operational, the number of staff employed by the club is set to increase by 70% to 1,667 jobs (or 472 full time equivalent jobs), and generate an additional £3.4 million of employment income, with the salaries of both club staff and supply chain employees being re-invested back into the economy via general expenditure.

Approximately 700 new matchday roles would be created - the majority in catering (approximately 500), but there would be significant employment opportunities in other areas including stewarding, cleaning and maintenance, retail, as well a range of managerial, administration and technical roles.

The benefit to the borough of Croydon in particular would be significant as it is estimated that 25% of all permanent jobs at Palace are taken by residents within the borough Croydon, with around 61% of staff from south London. Around 1,900 people in the three council wards surrounding Selhurst Park are currently looking for employment – a local unemployment rate of around 5.4%.



Construction



Building the new Main Stand at Selhurst Park would also positively contribute to employment in the construction industry. Based on an investment of between £75-£100 million, the redevelopment of the Main Stand is estimated to support in the region of 1,300-person years of construction employment nationally, or the equivalent of 430 temporary construction (FTE) jobs each year, over a two to three-year period.





Supply Chain



Currently, the club purchases approximately £9 million of goods and services with over 300 UK-based suppliers. An expanded Selhurst Park is expected to result in increased supply chain spending in the order of £15 million with UK-based businesses each year (an increase of 69% versus the 2016/17 season) supporting 260 jobs in the supply chain.

The number of "induced" jobs supported by the club's expansion would increase from 300 to 400, generating around £2.9m in additional income for the UK economy.

The club tries to use local suppliers whenever possible, with around 20 based in Croydon, including the Cronx Brewery located six miles from the stadium, and around 70 in south London. In total, the club purchased around £3.4 million of goods and services from London-based suppliers in the 2016/17 season, which is about 40% of the £8.9 million spent with UK businesses.



Tourism



The football club is a major tourist attraction in London, and a huge asset to the borough of Croydon, and generates around half a million matchday visits to Selhurst Park each year.

The extended Main Stand is expected to bring total matchday visits up to around 628,600 each year, and the result in visitor and off-site expenditure could be expected to reach up to £12.6 million each year - an increase of up to £3 million (or +31%) over current estimates. Building a new restaurant and museum will make it a more attractive location to visit on non-matchdays and generate increased spend in the local area.



Members of the public can now submit their comments on the planning application to help inform the council’s planning committee’s decision, who are due to meet on 19th April 2018, by clicking here.



A full copy of this report - "Economic and Social Value of the Extension to the Main Stand, Selhurst Park" - can be viewed by clicking here.



For more on the Selhurst Park plans, visit stadium.cpfc.co.uk.