Chelsea have submitted a planning application for the expansion of their homeground Stamford Bridge which will be examined by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The salient feature of the plan is the expansion of the current 41,600 capacity stadium to a new 60,000 capacity Stamford Bridge.
A statement on Chelsea’s official website read: “A planning application for a new stadium at Stamford Bridge with an expanded seating capacity has been submitted. This follows a successful consultation process during which we received very helpful feedback.”
Aside from the increase in seating capacity at Stamford Bridge, the other key improvements in the proposed plan include an arena designed to create an exciting atmosphere which would offer an outstanding view of the stadium from every seat. There will also be direct access to and from Fulham Broadway Station, making the ground better accessible and traveling more efficient.
Stadium facilities will also undergo a makeover from the current facilities, and the work, which has an estimated cost of £500m, would be financed by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. Hammersmith and Fulham council said the planning application was submitted by Abramovich’s company, Fordstam Ltd, on 19 November.
The club have warned their supporters to be patient with the developments, stating the extent of work before redevelopment starts is substantial. The process will start with the granting of planning permission, followed by the attainment of various other consents before redevelopment begins.
Chelsea have been in discussion with the FA to play their home games at Wembley, but Tottenham Hotspur are another club interested in making Wembley their temporary home. Chelsea have also looked at Twickenham, the home of Rugby Football Union, as another option for a temporary home.
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