Gloucestershire County Cricket Club have confirmed they are exploring the possibility of selling their historic home ground in Bristol, and moving to a bespoke stadium outside of the city.
The Nevil Road Ground in central Bristol has been Gloucestershire's base since 1889, when the land was gifted to the club by WG Grace, and has been a regular venue for England men's and women's white-ball internationals since the 1999 World Cup.
However, in recent seasons, the ground has been beset by drainage issues that caused the abandonment of each of its last four ODIs, including both of its fixtures at the 2019 World Cup, and most recently Ireland's visit in September.
Gloucestershire's domestic season was similarly disrupted, with their opening fixture of the County Championship, against Yorkshire in April, being abandoned on the third scheduled day without a ball being bowled. According to their most recently published accounts, the club lost £570,000 to the year ending January 31, 2023, having recorded a profit of £92,000 in 2021-22.
Due to its central position, the opportunities to overhaul the ground's existing infrastructure are limited, and following a report in the Telegraph last week, which estimated that the land could be worth £40 million if it was sold to developers, Gloucestershire have confirmed that a consultation is underway.
"To ensure the competitiveness and long-term sustainability of Gloucestershire Cricket, we must look at the possibility of relocating the club and are now looking to enter into more active negotiations around a potential move to an appropriate new site," the club wrote.
"Whilst the current ground is still able to deliver the very highest level of cricket and customer experience at Nevil Road, we have to also prepare for the future. As we continue to grow, the strain on infrastructure and facilities at Nevil Road will become increasingly challenging, as will access to and from the ground.
"The opportunity to relocate is a highly exciting prospect for the club to explore, one that would allow us to enter the next stage of our history and thrive in the future as we continue to adjust with the modernisation of cricket, how it is delivered and the diversification of the overall business."
The club's preferred site is close to the M4 in South Gloucestershire, on the outskirts of Bristol, making it "more accessible to larger parts of the county", and also allowing it to be "purpose-built to host the highest level of world cricket events including ICC fixtures".
Gloucestershire Cricket chair, David Jones, said: "This is a significant turning point for cricket in Gloucestershire and Bristol as we look to secure the club's long-term future in an ever-changing sporting world.
"As well as delivering for our members the modern and low-carbon facilities they deserve in order to showcase an ever-wider range of world class events here in the South West, we are keen to continue our active role in the community to widen participation and inspire the next generation of sports women and men.
"We look forward to engaging with our members, neighbouring residents, stakeholders and the public as we continue a journey that WG Grace started many years ago."
Richard Gould, the ECB's chief executive, and a former CEO of Bristol City Football Club, hailed the club's "ambitious plans for growth". With the board currently in consultation with counties over the future of the Hundred, one possibility being tabled is that two new teams will be introduced, including one in the South West, which would potentially add to the rationale of the development.
''We are clear on the importance of Bristol, Gloucestershire and the South West to the game and recognise that continued investment at all levels is vital for the ongoing growth of cricket across the region," Gould added. "It's fantastic to see Gloucestershire displaying the ambition to provide cricket fans in the West Country with a state-of-the-art sports and leisure arena."