The Birmingham National Stadium plans were unveiled to the public at the end of last week.

The plans for a new National Stadium at the NEC, Birmingham have been put on public display by the project team led by officers from Birmingham City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Council and the NEC group.

The 85,000 capacity saddle shaped bowl stadium has been designed by stadia specialists ArupSport, and is expected to cost around £324m. The proposal states the stadium would act as the hub around which considerable redevelopment can take place - a £1bn programme of transport improvement has been committed, and schemes such as a people mover from the airport and railway station would reduce congestion.

The project team has announced that the plan will be funded privately, via a business plan forecasting operating profits by the second year of operation announcing in a statement: The Project Team is not requesting central government or lottery funding.

The stadium will be owned by a new company formed from the two councils - Birmingham and Solihull, the NEC group, and event owners such as the FA. It will be managed and operated by the NEC group, with a separate management team, and is expected to raise an estimated £165m in additional visitor expenditure a year on its completion in 2005.