Plans unveiled to transform Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl

The Hampshire-based cricket club has teamed with Land Development Advisory to transform the Ageas Bowl. 

The Ageas Bowl, also referred to as the Rose Bowl, is a well-known cricket ground and hotel complex based in West End, Hampshire. In the UK, the grounds are widely known for being the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club.

On 2 February The Ageas Bowl unveiled their plans to “enhance fan experience and underpin the long-term future”, while adopting a financially sustainable method. They say these plans aim to protect the legacy of the club and their venue for future generations. 

The Ageas Bowl are in partnership with specialist consultants Land & Development Advisory Limited (LDA), and have been in talks about the overall planning process and preparing for the pre-application stage. 

CEO of The Ageas Bowl, David Mann, said: “We’re looking to use a proposed new residential development and the commercial revenue from that to fund the redevelopment of the venue.”

Plans for the residential development to the west of the stadium will include 103 houses and 80 apartments and would utilise The Ageas’ existing car parking space (offering around 900 spaces). Additionally, an independent living facility will be situated to the southwest of the stadium. 

Access to the stadium for pedestrians is also going to be improved, a new visitor arrival infrastructure providing additional facilities has been proposed. 

The Ageas Bowl’s Boundary Lake Club will be relocated to Moorhill Road, reducing the pressure on road infrastructure and traffic flow as a result. This will be accompanied by significant enhancements to the course in order to become ‘the best in the area’. 

The proposal for the new hotel consists of 135 double bedrooms and a large event space to go with the existing Hilton at The Ageas Bowl hotel that is currently on-site. 

There are also plans for a ‘well-being’ centre included in the proposal, with a ​​range of health services, like physiotherapy, GP medical consultation rooms, a pharmacy, opticians, a pilates and yoga studio, and a gymnasium.

The LDA commented on their website: “Surplus land will be developed to raise funds in order to achieve the above objectives in support of this vital regional community asset and world class sporting venue.

"The Ageas Bowl is the home of Hampshire Cricket, Southern Vipers and Southern Brave. It is a local, national and international asset to the West End and Southampton.”

The Ageas Bowl Chairman, Rod Bransgrove, said: "The sharing of our transformational plans with the public is an incredibly exciting moment. These ambitious plans represent the fulfilment of our original pledge to secure the long-term future of The Ageas Bowl and Hampshire Cricket whilst further enhancing our amenities for the local community.

The plans have been expertly guided to this pre-application stage and we now look forward to receiving feedback from the public to assist us in shaping our final submission."