Blues chairman and CEO Mark Ashton has outlined in more detail where the club currently stands on the redevelopment of the Cobbold Stand.

The structure, previously known as the Portman Stand, is now more than 50 years old and was first earmarked for a rebuild in the early 2000s as the next stage after the two new end stands.

However, relegation and then administration put paid to those plans until the change of ownership in 2021 when it was put on the lengthy to-do list as a long-term aim.

“As we’ve said before, the major focus has been the training ground and we saw that last week, and that has to be completed in the summer, ready for the players to return for pre-season,” Ashton told TownTV when asked about the current position.

“We then have numerous, and I mean numerous, capital projects here at Portman Road. You’ve just seen the offices, that’s multi-millions of pounds to put that in place.

“We’ve upgraded a number of facilities in the West Stand, but the big development then is the Portman Road site.

“We have had probably 18, 24 months’ worth of discussions with the local authority where we have an agreement where we’ve protected a piece of land that sits across the road here at Portman Road, so we know where we can build back to, which means we’ve been able to put some scale and bulk drawings in place, and those drawings are quite detailed in fairness.

“And I think we’ll now move into a stage where we will actually start doing more detailed work on what that looks like, what we decide to take the capacity to, when and what non-matchday facilities go into this.

“We have a really good relationship with our local authority and what we want to do is we want to build something that’s sympathetic to the town, that works in conjunction with their plans for some of the land that sits behind this.

“And actually, potentially for us to lead on some other projects and development projects around Portman Road, which enhance non-matchday revenues that ultimately support Financial Fair Play and the team on the pitch. It all has to link.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into that and when we’re ready, we’ll come out with more details.

“The timeline for that is always going to be difficult, because there is there’s no other way than really reducing capacity. We looked at, and we continue to look at at, whether we do something with the West Stand first, increase capacity there before we do [the Cobbold Stand].

“We’re also looking at the practice pitch and how developments could take place behind the West Stand, linking to the West Stand.

“It’s really an estate strategy now for Portman Road that we’re focusing on, again in conjunction with key partners and stakeholders, that make a home future-proofed, fit-for-purpose and drives revenues to a point where we can be sustainable in the Premier League and compete in that division.”

Ashton added: “It’s going to be a difficult job replacing this stand because we’ve got to do it in a sympathetic way that keeps the values of the football club, keeps some of the history and the tradition but allows us to move forward.

“As I look at this stand, just the names attached to this history of this football club, it’s incredible.”

Meanwhile, the Blues chief says the picture of legendary manager Sir Bobby Robson on outside wall of Planet Blue is set to be replaced having faded over time.

“One of the things that I’ve been questioned on recently is the Sir Bobby Robson image, because it’s fading, it’s looking tired, so that will be replaced imminently,” he said.

“I think we’ll be talking to the supporters group in relation to which image we use, whether we just go with the same image or we use a different one.

“But it’s really important to us and imminently that’ll be changed because it’s Sir Bobby and it needs to look right.

“It’s important. I come in this way to work for most days and I’ve watched it deteriorate over the last six or seven months, so it’s important that it's doing it’s done quickly.”

Photo: Matchday Images