What facilities will there be in the new North Stand?

The new North Stand will have over 2,500 new seats, a large public bar on the ground floor, a function room seating up to 270 people on the first floor and 10 corporate boxes (less than at present) on the second floor. There will be an improved, state-of-the-art stadium control room, as well as significantly improved disabled facilities, toilets and first aid.

Why have the plans changed since 2009?

These amended plans certainly suit the club's purposes. They give 2,000 more people the opportunity to watch the Saints in Northampton, allow Franklin's Gardens to meet the criteria for a home Heineken Cup quarter final, and give the club the capability to move into the top five average attendances in European club rugby. The club will also have the option of moving games to stadium:mk, which by that time will have a capacity in the region of 35,000. This follows the pattern which is increasingly prevalent in European rugby.

What is the timeframe for the proposed development?

The club intends to redevelop the north end of the stadium in the summer of 2013, ahead of the 2013/14 season. This gives us the time to ensure that all of the necessary plans are in place - both related to the stand itself and the rest of the infrastructure at Franklin's Gardens - as well as the funding.

The club's preferred option remains funding through enabling retail development. This gives the club the wherewithal to build the new stand without taking on a large amount of debt and allows the increased revenue that will be earned to be immediately invested into the club's playing and community departments, along with other aspects of the work done by the Saints. Neither the club nor any individual will profit financially from this deal.

The Saints is not asking for any money from Northampton Borough Council. The Saints is a self-sufficient club that wants the ability to keep growing, standing on its own two feet and bringing pride to the town of Northampton and its people.