Norwich City's Carrow Road shake-up poised for approval

The club had promised to pause the proposals in the face of a huge revolt from supporters but kept its planning application lodged with Norwich City Council and continued to pursue it.

Councillors will decide whether to allow the changes - which would see fans evicted from the lower River End to make way for away supporters - at a meeting next week.

The proposed new fan zone at the back of Norwich City Football Club's Barclay Stand (Image: LSI Architects)

However, council officials have recommended they approve the scheme.

The news will alarm fans opposed to the project and they are being encouraged to attend the City Hall meeting to make their views known.

Protests at Carrow Road broke out last year shortly after the plans were announced amid wider frustrations with the club's performance (Image: Dan Grimmer)

Mark Attanasio, the club's owner, announced the scheme had been paused when he visited Norfolk in October and said fans would be consulted before any changes were made.

He told Radio Norfolk: "We are going to postpone it and have an informed session with our supporters that we probably should have had before this."

Club owner Mark Attanasio (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

In a statement at the time, the club said: "We have taken the decision to postpone the work to allow us, and management, time to consider feedback and optimise the plans."

However, the club has made no changes to its planning application since it was lodged and it proposes exactly the same measures that prompted such fury from fans.

The backlash to the proposals saw the club hastily organise a question-and-answer session with Zoe Webber, executive director, and Anthony Richens, finance and operations director, at which they were booed and heckled by supporters, with chants of "You don't know what you're doing".

An aerial view of Carrow Road (Image: Mike Page)

The row coincided with the team's disastrous run of home defeats, which have left it still in the relegation zone, and supporters also made their feelings known during Carrow Road matches, singing "We shall not be moved", while tennis balls were thrown on the pitch.

Fans said they had not been consulted about the plans with many saying they did not wish to leave seats where they had been for many seasons, making many friends and connections with those around them.

They also said it would be foolish for the club to give up an area behind one of the goals to away fans, as it would undermine the stadium atmosphere and give opposition teams a boost.

Norwich City is still hoping to gain permission for changes at Carrow Road (Image: Andy Sumner/Focus Images Ltd)

The switch - which would see Norwich fans moved from the River End to the current away section in the South Stand - would allow for more corporate seating in the South Stand.

The revamp  - inspired by the club's US owners seeking to replicate the matchday experiences from American sports venues - also includes the creation of a new 'fan zone' behind the Barclay End.

Club officials say the fan zone and the away fan switch are the first two phases in a four phase scheme to generate extra revenue and help to ultimately redevelop the City Stand, the oldest at Carrow Road, to increase the overall capacity to 35,000.

Fans fear that if the club gets permission from the council it will find it much easier to enact the changes, even in the face of opposition from supporters.

What the changes at Carrow Road could mean (Image: Norwich City Football Club)

One supporter, who goes by Big Rosie on X, said: "I'd encourage any supporters who feel the club's consultation fell well short of being robust to attend the meeting to vocalise objections."

The club insists it will still consult with supporters before any changes are made.

A spokesman said it had continued with the planning process as the application had already been lodged and paid for.

Gaining permission for the changes will mean the club has the option and flexibility to pursue them in the future. It will also make it easier to make changes.

He added: "We won't be doing anything major before the start of the next season."

The South Stand (also known as The Jarrold Stand) at Carrow Road (Image: Andy Sumner / Focus Images)

POLICE CONCERNS

In a report submitted to the council, Norfolk Constabulary officials said they had concerns over moving away fans next to families in the Joma Community Stand and that they had "lengthy discussions" during a site visit.

But the police's planning officer said it was not possible to consider these factors in her response to the application, because they were outside her remit.

Instead, the official could only advise on architectural matters such as security measures like CCTV, ultimately concluding the plans would "not undermine crime prevention".

A visualisation of the new fan zone at Carrow Road at night (Image: LSI Architects)

'WAIT AND SEE'

Robin Sainty, chairman of fan group the Canaries Trust, said the club had reassured him that it is reviewing plans to move away fans.

"There is a danger of conflating the club pursuing the application with thinking it is going to do what they were going to do in the first place," he said.

"I do not think that is the case. The River End stand needs serious work on it, regardless of where the away fans go."

Norwich supporters may have to swap their River End seats (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

The structural changes to the stand could still be made but away fans could be moved elsewhere.

"We should know more about the revised plans within a month or so," he added.

Norwich City fan Matt Colley was confident the club would not roll back on their promise to consult with fans before bringing forward a revised plan.

"Mark Attanasio was pretty strident when he made that commitment," he added.