Chelsea in £600m bid to build 60,000-seat stadium

Chelsea Football Club has submitted a planning application to build a new 60,000-seat stadium at its current Stamford Bridge home.

The application, which involves the demolition of the Premier League club’s existing 41,600-seat stadium and other buildings currently on the Putney site, will be examined by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.

The plans – which will cost an estimated £600m – involve excavation works and the construction of new external concourse areas.

The new ground will be surrounded by 264 brick columns, with glass connecting each one to provide the structure of the roof and walls of the stadium.

Those wishing to comment on the application have until Friday January 8, 2016, to submit their observations to Hammersmith & Fulham Council. Feedback on consultation so far has been positive and it looks unlikely that Chelsea will find many roadblocks to their plans.

The club expects the project will take three years to complete and says it hopes the work will be finished by 2020.

In a statement on its official club website, Chelsea said the new stadium would see “facilities improved for every area” and offer an “outstanding view” from every seat in an arena “designed to create an exciting atmosphere”.

Club owner Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich had initially considered seeking a permanent new home. In 2012, Chelsea FC said the option of expanding Stamford Bridge was “not feasible or viable”.

However, a desire to have a stadium with a similar capacity to rivals Manchester United and Manchester City – plus a lack of suitable sites available in London – is thought to have prompted the U-turn.

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BBC