Kent to increase ground capacity at Canterbury

Kent County Cricket Club today announced that it has been awarded a General Safety Certificate by Kent County Council enabling it to stage matches at the St Lawrence Ground for a crowd of up to 15,000.

Commenting on this development Carl Openshaw, Chairman of the Club, said: "We are delighted with this news. We have held international matches at Canterbury over the last two years with a crowd limit of 10,000. This increase in capacity will enable us to be seen as a potential venue for England matches at some point in the future. We have parking capacity for 6,000 cars in the local school grounds, the flexibility to build temporary stands and improved transport links make Canterbury increasingly accessible from London."

To secure this Certificate, the Club has undertaken a major programme of work including the installation of a new staircase for the Pavilion, fireproof painting of wooden stands and the provision of new disabled ramps. Contingency plans for emergencies have been drawn up and tested in exercises involving the Police, Ambulance Service, Fire Service and Environmental Health and Highways Departments of the Council.