Carlisle United reveal plans for East Stand and museum

The Blues used Monday evening’s fans’ forum to share some of their plans to transform the ground.

The club’s new owners, the Piatak family, want to make significant changes to United’s home.

Plans involve a dramatic overhaul of the East Stand which will include hospitality boxes, a new boardroom and function rooms.

United want to capitalise on much of the space which has gone unused in the stand since it opened in 1996.

There are also plans to improve facilities in the Warwick Road End, followed by further improvements on the west side of the ground for the benefit of the team and football staff.

And a major memorabilia project will lead to items from the club’s history being displayed in a new museum in the ground.

A visual impression of a new boardroom in the East Stand (Image: Carlisle United / Unwin Jones Partnership)

United shared some of the plans and designs with fans at Monday’s forum hosted by supporters’ groups (CUSG).

The timescale for the initiatives has not been specified but owner Tom Piatak said they want to move quickly on the first phase of East Stand improvements.

"We think Brunton Park is a wonderful asset in the middle of the city – the walkability and the access is something you don't see at a lot of other facilities,” he said.

• Carlisle United fans' forum - as it happened

“It does need work – as part of the purchase price there was an undisclosed amount of money we knew needed to go into the infrastructure.

“We're starting on the East Stand, hopefully very quick."

Phase one of East Stand improvements, according to plans produced by Carlisle architecture firm Unwin Jones Partnership, will involve a temporary reception and kitchen facilities on the ground floor, and work on a new boardroom and adjoining room for guests on the second floor, along with work on kitchen, storage, bar and lift facilities.

Phase two will see a reception area on the ground floor and development on a function room on the second floor.

Plans for a redeveloped East Stand were shared with fans at Monday's forum (Image: News & Star)

Phase three, as well as a further function room on the second floor, involves plans to kit out eight hospitality boxes at third floor level.

Such boxes were part of the original plans for the stand when it was built under Michael Knighton’s tenure, but the structures have lain empty.

The overhaul will also see a directors' box established in the East Stand seating area, with the current media facilities moved to a different part of the stand. Directors, to date, have always been in the Main Stand on the west side of the ground.

• Picture special: Changing face of Brunton Park under the Piataks

"Part of this is to build a museum as part of this development,” added chief executive Nigel Clibbens, referring to the club’s growing memorabilia collection carried out in conjunction with fan groups.

A raffle at Monday’s forum raised funds for the memorabilia collection and future displays, with major plans in the offing for 2024.

Carlisle are set to share the stand plans on their website and will invite feedback from supporters.

"We're going to put the plans and visuals online. We're going to look for feedback from everybody – there will be an email link to send in suggestions for all areas,” said finance director Suzanne Kidd.

“We'll put it into a ‘fans' plans’ dossier, and build on that. That can become part of our action plan for improving the whole ground the way you guys want it."

United directors discussed some of the plans at Monday's fans' forum in the Glass Bar (Image: News & Star)

Tom Piatak added there were plans to “improve the Warwick Road End, the concessions and facilities – that has to go through the planning process.

A new area for disabled fans was part of the plan for that part of the ground – as well as a permanent upgrading of the terrace’s infamous toilet facilities.

"After that we want to make changes on the west side, mostly for the coaches and players,” said Tom Piatak.

"Longer term, more needs to happen. We're going to continue to invest in Brunton Park, bring it up to standard and make it a facility we're all proud of."

Clibbens added: "There are lots of things we've been working on but never been quite able to get across the line, that will hopefully start to come together and make this place great."