The first section of the new East Stand at Vicarage Road Stadium should be open in March, Watford's chief executive said this week.

The club had initially suggested the first part of the structure would be open early next year and then whole stand in Spring.

However, on Monday night CEO Scott Duxbury said the first part of the new stand won't be open until March, with the remaining section fully operational in June or July.

He said: "The demolition work for stage one of the East Stand is almost complete and then we will start doing the foundations.

"The plan is that phase one will be completed in March. Phase one is up to the existing [main] East Stand [building, which is up to the tunnel area]. They need to build new changing rooms to relocate to and then they will pull down the existing bit of the East Stand, which is phase two.

"The first phase will be complete in March and then phase two in June or July."

The development is expected to cost more than £3m. It will have a concrete base and steel framework but it does have a semi-temporary design which will make it easier to extend in future years if required.

The stand will initially house around 2,600, taking the total capacity of Vicarage Road to more than 20,000 if you include the restricted view seats.

The current planning permission does include a provision to build a 5,000-seater development in the future.

Duxbury confirmed the club's hierarchy are aware of a desire, by a section of supporters, to name the new stand after Watford legend Graham Taylor. He also added that supporters will be consulted over the matter.

Watford have prioritised building the East Stand over the South-West Corner, which has remained incomplete for several years. So the club decided to hand management of the South-West Corner redevelopment work over to catering company The Lindley Group, which has a wide-ranging deal with the Hornets.

Watford Observer: Picture: Holly Cant

For that reason, the Hornets say they are unable to provide a time frame for completion of the South-West Corner.

Duxbury said: "Because all my time is spent on the East Stand, the project development has been handed over to Lindley and they are currently re-working the plans. There isn't a time-scale for when they will start building but they are committed to it, as are we. We absolutely will be developing the South-West Corner but I will be honest, all of our [Watford's] time and attention at the moment is on the East Stand so there isn't an opening time for the South-West Corner.

"Lindley are keeping me in the loop and we have regular meetings on the South-West Corner but all of my time is dedicated to the East Stand."

You can see more images of the proposed East Stand and read more about the development here.