Northam Gas Site

[spyinthesky]

I heard a rumour, from a fairly reliable source, that Saints have bought the former Gas Holder site with the intention of turning it into a Exhibition/Concert centre.

Just wonder if anyone with connections with the club could confirm/dispute this?

If there is truth in this, it would be good to have such a facility in Southampton.

[hypochondriac]

Doesn't the land need decontaminating? Not sure it's big enough to be a concert venue is it?

[Badger]

I thought it had already been bought for development of flats. 

[Colinjb]

8 minutes ago, Badger said:

I thought it had already been bought for development of flats. 

This

[The Kraken]

20 minutes ago, Badger said:

I thought it had already been bought for development of flats. 

Yep. A very ugly development.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6ppn2rpqvvo

[LuckyNumber7]

9 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

Yep. A very ugly development.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6ppn2rpqvvo

I actually quite like it.

I think like so many other projects it has stalled though, the site hasn't been touched since the gasometers were demolished. So it's possible it might have been sold again I suppose.

[Dr Who?]

We really should be looking to make the area around the ground more attractive for pre match. I know we have the fan zone, but we should have the whole area of a complex of restaurants and bars, with other entertainment. The whole match day experience is more to do with the family, and a family match day experience of a whole. Get the women’s ground built down there or get them kicking off before the men’s game. I do think we are missing a trick, but then again the club cannot even stick a 4G mast up so you can get online during the build up, during the game and half time. Carlisle United have great 4G coverage at their ground. But then again the whole matchday and off the field stuff is spot on… just on the pitch they are terrible! 

[Lighthouse]

14 minutes ago, Dr Who? said:

We really should be looking to make the area around the ground more attractive for pre match. I know we have the fan zone, but we should have the whole area of a complex of restaurants and bars, with other entertainment. The whole match day experience is more to do with the family, and a family match day experience of a whole. Get the women’s ground built down there or get them kicking off before the men’s game. I do think we are missing a trick, but then again the club cannot even stick a 4G mast up so you can get online during the build up, during the game and half time. Carlisle United have great 4G coverage at their ground. But then again the whole matchday and off the field stuff is spot on… just on the pitch they are terrible! 

The problem with that is that 346 days a year, there’s bugger all going on at St Mary’s and the buildings would just be sat idle and not making any money.

It'll be flats eventually, although I think I read somewhere that it’ll take years for the site to be naturally decontaminated. 

[die Mannyschaft]

I'm sure flats planning application has been approved,  echo or other news. 

The area is quite a walk from station or town but sure there was some sort of vision to develop the area around tge ground. Maybe the units that burnt down won't be new units, possibly something around old town depot area.

[SaintsLoyal]

Ask the club if theyve spoken to the coal pension fund to see if they will sell the burnt down warehouse land adjacent to the chapel stand.

A key bit of land that would be very useful and needed for any stadium expansion.

 

[RedArmy]

Surely the toys r us site is the best place for this to be built? Right by the train station, hotels nearby etc 

I wish it would get built somewhere though, the South doesn’t have a modern large indoor venue any more. The big acts don’t come south of London, the BIC is long past its sell by date. 
 

It would put Southampton back on the map again. The biggest touring acts, boxing, darts, exhibitions etc 

 

 

[SW11_Saint]

3 hours ago, spyinthesky said:

I heard a rumour, from a fairly reliable source, that Saints have bought the former Gas Holder site with the intention of turning it into a Exhibition/Concert centre.

Just wonder if anyone with connections with the club could confirm/dispute this?

If there is truth in this, it would be good to have such a facility in Southampton.

Yes, have heard that too. The financing for the proposed flats fell through. I believe this land, and potentially the cement works are all part of the plan (in conjunction with SCC) to develop the area into a sports & entertainment complex. 

I heard the plan for the gas works was a concert / conference centre - potentially to hold up to 15k, along the lines of the Liverpool Echo Arena (though it’s called something else now). 

[Pamplemousse]

I wonder if this is Solak's big pet project that he mentioned during the summer 

[so22saint]

If anybody has seen the flats built *into* the old gas holders at Kings Cross next to Google's HQ in that there London - that would be a great way to do it.

[OldNick]

1 minute ago, so22saint said:

If anybody has seen the flats built *into* the old gas holders at Kings Cross next to Google's HQ in that there London - that would be a great way to do it.

I think there is also a similar scheme near Borough market, really impressive use of the structure

[Lighthouse]

10 hours ago, RedArmy said:

Surely the toys r us site is the best place for this to be built? Right by the train station, hotels nearby etc 

I wish it would get built somewhere though, the South doesn’t have a modern large indoor venue any more. The big acts don’t come south of London, the BIC is long past its sell by date. 
 

It would put Southampton back on the map again. The biggest touring acts, boxing, darts, exhibitions etc 

I really don't think the TRU site is big enough for any kind of decent size venue. Any big act which comes to the city will play SMS or the Utilita bowl, with a temporary covered stage. I'm just not sure there's any market for a smaller, middle ground venue, or that it'd be financially viable.

[Toadhall Saint]

9 minutes ago, so22saint said:

If anybody has seen the flats built *into* the old gas holders at Kings Cross next to Google's HQ in that there London - that would be a great way to do it.

The oval cricket ground will be overlooked by the same - looks good probably cost millions each mind.

[Patrick Bateman]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I really don't think the TRU site is big enough for any kind of decent size venue. Any big act which comes to the city will play SMS or the Utilita bowl, with a temporary covered stage. I'm just not sure there's any market for a smaller, middle ground venue, or that it'd be financially viable.

Those 2 sites aren't available most of the year though, St Marys especially so - AND it's a pig to get to relatively speaking compared to the Rose Bowl or the Toys r Us site.

Toys r Us site and surrounding area would be decent for a mid-sized indoor arena I think. I mean granted the TV companies seem to only go to indoor arenas in Manchester now, but surely we're all dying to see Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa in Southampton? See I'm down with Gen Z and A. 

[Mattio]

An arena for Southampton would be fantastic, but I feel that location wouldn’t be ideal. Most arenas are used multiple midweek nights, and the infrastructure of the roads and public transport would need to be adapted, as 15k people regularly on Southampton’s already clogged roads most school nights is not going to end well, whilst less than the capacity of SMS, the regularity of events and the fact people would be arriving at rush hour would be the issue.

[RedArmy]

24 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I really don't think the TRU site is big enough for any kind of decent size venue.

I think it would be.
If not the leisure world site definitely is and a much better use than the car park it currently is and the dull long term plans for the site. Why do we need another cinema, or another casino? 
 

Both far better locations than the gas works. 

[Lighthouse]

Money talks, as they say. I'm sure if there was demand for a large, indoor venue in Hampshire, someone would have built it. As it happens, most of the demand at the moment seems to be for more flats.

[Toussaint]

13 hours ago, Dr Who? said:

We really should be looking to make the area around the ground more attractive for pre match. I know we have the fan zone, but we should have the whole area of a complex of restaurants and bars, with other entertainment. The whole match day experience is more to do with the family, and a family match day experience of a whole. Get the women’s ground built down there or get them kicking off before the men’s game. I do think we are missing a trick, but then again the club cannot even stick a 4G mast up so you can get online during the build up, during the game and half time. Carlisle United have great 4G coverage at their ground. But then again the whole matchday and off the field stuff is spot on… just on the pitch they are terrible! 

I honestly don’t think it would be viable, if the ground was on the old odeon site or somewhere simmering then yes, but in that location only to be used 20 or so times a year, I can’t see it.

[Sunglasses Ron]

The gas site is plenty big enough to accommodate a regional class concert venue.

A good example is the Swansea Arena, which draws top acts from around the world on a smaller footprint.

Edited Thursday at 11:00 by Sunglasses Ron

[SaintsLoyal]

The gas site wouldnt be a good location for a multi purpose venue, i would image somewhere like the toys rus site, it has hotels, food, thousands of car spaces nearby, a train station and numerous roads out of the city.  Solak isnt flashing the cash around so the least he can do in the short term is at least inquire about the land in melbourne road.   

[LeG]

Yes, and that's not all we've bought. 

[AlexLaw76]

11 minutes ago, LeG said:

Yes, and that's not all we've bought. 

What else?

[trousers]

24 minutes ago, LeG said:

Yes, and that's not all we've bought. 

Please tell me we've bought a zoo of some kind...

🐒🐓

[SW11_Saint]

55 minutes ago, SaintsLoyal said:

The gas site wouldnt be a good location for a multi purpose venue, i would image somewhere like the toys rus site, it has hotels, food, thousands of car spaces nearby, a train station and numerous roads out of the city.  Solak isnt flashing the cash around so the least he can do in the short term is at least inquire about the land in melbourne road.   

That’s the point though, the plan is to develop the whole SMS area, including the cement works site, and create bars, restaurants, hotels. Basically rejuvenating that area of the City. Central station really isn’t that far away and regular shuttle uses would help get crowds in/out. 

[redandwhitey]

Build it and they will come …..

[SaintsLoyal]

1 hour ago, SW11_Saint said:

That’s the point though, the plan is to develop the whole SMS area, including the cement works site, and create bars, restaurants, hotels. Basically rejuvenating that area of the City. Central station really isn’t that far away and regular shuttle uses would help get crowds in/out. 

I would only see flats working facing the Itchen river , bars and restaurants are struggling to fill seats already. I wouldn’t want anything to further kill off the city centre.  The dell bar for eg is empty unless a game is being played.  All the hotels are in west quay. Mayflower park was going to be developed into something your suggesting and it melted into the Solent. 
 

 

[SuperSAINT]

5 hours ago, LeG said:

Yes, and that's not all we've bought. 

[Maggie May]

Surely the best location for an entertainment venue is the old Leisure World site? 

[Dr Who?]

35 minutes ago, Maggie May said:

Surely the best location for an entertainment venue is the old Leisure World site? 

But we deserve some entertainment in or around SMS for once surely? 

[SW11_Saint]

On 11/09/2025 at 17:21, SaintsLoyal said:

I would only see flats working facing the Itchen river , bars and restaurants are struggling to fill seats already. I wouldn’t want anything to further kill off the city centre.  The dell bar for eg is empty unless a game is being played.  All the hotels are in west quay. Mayflower park was going to be developed into something your suggesting and it melted into the Solent. 
 

 

The Mayfkower Park redevelopment is still part of the Project Renaissance plan.  

[hypochondriac]

On 11/09/2025 at 15:21, trousers said:

Please tell me we've bought a zoo of some kind...

🐒🐓

🙏

[Matthew Le God]

I won't be able to sleep tonight. Thanks @hypochondriac

[Saint Fan CaM]

Surprised they’re not talking about putting a multi-storey car park there with public transport links to the town centre. Would make more money than anything else as it would be used a lot more. Either that or affordable housing for illegal migrants (🤭😉 joke).

[SteveGc]

Wasn’t this exactly what Cortese sent out on that site, clearly Dragan SR etc inherited those plans. Was stupid we did t buy it in the first place. Let’s hope so

Edited 7 hours ago by SteveGc

[SW5 SAINT]

On 11/09/2025 at 09:52, Patrick Bateman said:

Those 2 sites aren't available most of the year though, St Marys especially so - AND it's a pig to get to relatively speaking compared to the Rose Bowl or the Toys r Us site.

Toys r Us site and surrounding area would be decent for a mid-sized indoor arena I think. I mean granted the TV companies seem to only go to indoor arenas in Manchester now, but surely we're all dying to see Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa in Southampton? See I'm down with Gen Z and A. 

I remember back in 80/90’s the Toys r Us site was being considered as a potential site for Saints relocation…..!

[SaintsLoyal]

Some people do like getting carried away, i think land acquistion is clearly a good idea, when its adjacent to the stadium, especially now the stadium has lost a large wack of basic car parking.  

 

But the most important thing is the football and clearly improving our current status !

 

 

[Matthew Le God]

Just now, SaintsLoyal said:

Some people do like getting carried away, i think land acquistion is clearly a good idea, when its adjacent to the stadium, especially now the stadium has lost a large wack of basic car parking.  

But the most important thing is the football and clearly improving our current status !

Increasing revenue through infrastructure projects helps to do that.