Gloucestershire are exploring options to relocate from their historic Bristol County Ground to a new site on the edge of the city.
The preferred site is in South Gloucestershire, close to the M4.
The club have played at the ground in Ashley Down, Bristol, for more than a century with the first match held on Nevil Road in 1889.
A prospective new stadia would have club-leading standards of environmental sustainability, and a greatly improved seated capacity, providing greater matchday experiences at cricket matches and, in turn, would provide much better facilities for members, supporters and visitors, with dedicated areas for their use, less reliance on temporary infrastructure and high quality sustainable transport options.
Gloucestershire Cricket Chair, David Jones, said: “This is a significant turning point for cricket in Gloucestershire and Bristol as we look to secure the club’s long-term future in an ever-changing sporting world. As well as delivering for our members the modern and low carbon facilities they deserve in order to showcase an ever-wider range of world class events here in the South West, we are keen to continue our active role in the community to widen participation and inspire the next generation of sports women and men.
“We look forward to engaging with our members, neighbouring residents, stakeholders and the public as we continue a journey that WG Grace started many years ago.”
Richard Gould, Chief Executive at the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said: “It’s always exciting to see County Clubs come up with ambitious plans for growth.
‘’We are clear on the importance of Bristol, Gloucestershire and the South West to the game and recognise that continued investment at all levels is vital for the ongoing growth of cricket across the region. It’s fantastic to see Gloucestershire displaying the ambition to provide cricket fans in the West Country with a state-of-the-art sports and leisure arena.”
