Green light for Chelsea stadium redevelopment

Chelsea last night got the go-ahead to redevelop Stamford Bridge into a 60,000 seater stadium.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council heard a planning application last night.

The league leaders have decided developing their current home, rather than relocating elsewhere, is their preferred option as they look to provide a 60,000-seater stadium with a capacity more akin to other top-flight clubs.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council had recommended the application be approved, with a meeting of the planning and development committee last night.

Chelsea’s redevelopment project is to be funded by owner Roman Abramovich, to an estimated cost of some £500million.

The proximity of underground and overground railway lines are one of the biggest challenges for such a huge project in an area of west London which offers little wiggle room.

The Blues believe the history of Stamford Bridge is with the site, rather than the stadium itself. The build would be complex and involve excavation, with the plan to lower the arena into the ground to achieve the capacity on a 12-acre site.

Stamford Bridge’s capacity is 41,663, making it the seventh biggest in the Premier League. Nevetheless, it falls short of Manchester United’s 76,000-seater Old Trafford, while Arsenal, Man City, West Ham, Sunderland and Liverpool all now boast bigger grounds.