Revealed: First images of how Man City Etihad Stadium expansion and new fan zone could look

The first concept sketches for Manchester City's proposed North Stand expansion and new fan zone at the Etihad Stadium have been revealed today.

In December, City announced plans to begin feasibility studies into increasing the Etihad's capacity to over 60,000 and making the stadium an entertainment destination all year round. Fans and members of the public were invited to give their thoughts on the adding of thousands more seats in the North Stand, as well as the building of a new City Square fan zone, a museum and a hotel within the development.

Now, the club have unveiled concept designs for how the expanded North Stand could look, as well as the covered fan zone and other facilities, with a new phase of fan and community consultation now beginning.

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When City added 7,000 seats to the South Stand in 2015, a third tier was added, similar to the three-tiered stands running along both sides of the pitch. However, the North Stand sketches show an expanded second tier above the existing first tier, giving that end of the ground a unique design.

As well as the increased capacity, the North Stand expansion would be fully integrated with an expansion into the current City Square area, with a covered fan zone for 3,000 before and after games. The new City Square would have a variety of food and drink outlets, a new club shop, a museum and a hotel. Some workspace for start-up and medium-sized businesses would also be incorporated into the plans.

If a planning application was submitted and approved, the construction programme would take place over a three-year period, with works staged to minimise disruption during the football season, meaning