European club ‘told to build hedgehog shelters’ as part of new stadium plans after Champions League exit

Union Saint-Gilloise’s proposed new stadium is set to feature nesting boxes and hedgehog shelters in a unique environmental agreement.

Since 2019, the Belgian champions have set their sights on building a new 16,000-seater venue located in the nearby Parc de Bempt, owned by the municipality of Forest, Brussels.

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Where is USG’s current home ground?

USG currently play their home games at Stade Joseph Marien, which boasts a capacity of just 9,400.

After years spent languishing outside of the Belgian top flight, the Brussels side have enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years.

With Brighton owner Tony Bloom purchasing the club in 2018, USG have since been promoted back to the Belgian Pro League, and enjoyed regular European qualification.

Their crowning moment came in the 2024/25 campaign, as Les Unionistes sealed their first Belgian title in 90 years.

Amidst this rise, however, it has become clear that their current home is not up to the standards required for elite level.

The Stade Joseph Marien is a listed historic venue, and doesn’t possess the necessary room for expansion at its current site.

In this season’s Champions League league phase, USG were forced to play their home fixtures at rivals Anderlecht’s Lotto Park, while they have also played at the King Baudouin Stadium – Belgium‘s national stadium – in recent years.

USG’s controversial new project

In a bid to match their new ambitions, USG have been in talks with local authorities over a new stadium since 2019.

And the site they have settled on is the Parc de Bempt, located just 2.8 kilometres from the club’s current home.

The stadium project is estimated to cost between €70million and €85m, as USG look to accommodate over 6,000 more spectators.

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KSS Group

Once given the go-ahead, architects ESA and KSS Group will oversee the project, the latter of which are behind the Anfield expansion, and have also worked on Liverpool and Leicester’s new training grounds.

However, the chosen location has proven controversial, with the abandoned industrial spot viewed as a valuable green space.

The proposal has been met with opposition from environmental organisations, however, USG were recently handed a boost.

Bruxelles Environnment, the region’s governing body for protected sites, granted the club’s projected an exemption from environmental protection regulations last summer.

An appeal was later launched against this exemption, however, this was dismissed by regional authorities in January.

They insisted USG’s stadium project meets the requirements for an exemption for ‘reasons of major public interest’, and claimed the new venue would contribute to ‘local social dynamics and cohesion’.

KSS Group

Nesting boxes and hedgehog shelters

While USG have been handed a major boost in their new stadium bid, they will have to meet strict environmental conditions if given the green light.

Under the exemption, the club are obliged to make a conscious effort with the proposed site.

For instance, USG are required to plant 269 trees to make up for the 237 which will be cut down to make way for the new complex.

More specifically, the trees must be felled between September 1 and February 28, which would be before the nesting period for birds begins.

Also among USG’s obligations, buildings at the Parc de Bempt site will be required to include artificial nesting boxes for several species, namely black swifts, housemartins and sparrows.

On top of this, some of the wood from the park’s trees must be used to build hedgehog shelters.

KSS Group

While USG have plenty of factors to consider when they eventually get the wheels in motion, any construction work may still be some way off.

Currently, the club’s applications are still awaiting both urban planning permission and final environmental approval.

Meanwhile, talks are also ongoing with the municipality of Forest over the sale of the site.