Lansdowne work to begin in 2007

Lansdowne Road is badly in need of an upgrade

Irish rugby and football bosses have said their planning permission application to redevelop Lansdowne Road will be submitted by the end of 2005.

Work on the 250 million Euro facelift is now not expected to start until 2007 and the project is unlikely to be completed before 2009.

"We hope to show the proposed designs to our stakeholders in the next month," said IRFU chief Philip Browne.

"Architects are putting the final touches to the design."

Browne said he was "confident" a planning application would be lodged before the end of the year.

"The overall plan announced last year envisages work on the stadium commencing in 2007, subject to planning, with a 27-month construction programme," the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Football Association of Ireland added in a statement.

The new-look Lansdowne Road will have two three-tiered stands along the sides of the pitch, replacing the current East and West stands.

Smaller, single-tiered stands will be built at either end of the pitch.