London Mayor Sadiq Khan has given the nod to Chelsea Football Club’s plans for a £500m stadium on the site of their existing Stamford Bridge ground.
Plans for the new stadium will see Chelsea’s match-day capacity increase from 41,600 to 60,000 and will include the construction of an elevated walkway over the nearby District Line, linking the stadium to Fulham Broadway station.
Chelsea will now begin looking for a contractor, with Multiplex, Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine tipped to be interested.
Khan’s decision further builds on his support for London football, including his move to give the green light to a new stadium for AFC Wimbledon, which sees the ‘Dons’ set to return to their Plough Lane home nearly three decades after leaving it in 1991.
Chelsea’s proposal was approved unanimously by Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s planning committee in January.
The club’s application also includes spending £12m in community activities, such as employment and skills training, as well as £3.75m towards affordable housing in the borough.
Khan, said: “London is one of the world’s greatest sporting cities and I’m delighted that we will soon add Chelsea’s new stadium to the already fantastic array of sporting arenas in the capital.
“Having taken a balanced view of the application, I’m satisfied this is a high-quality and spectacular design which will significantly increase capacity within the existing site, as well as ensuring fans can have easy access from nearby transport connections.”
The new stadium has been designed by architects Herzog and de Meuron, which also designed the iconic Birds Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing and the widely acclaimed Allianz Arena in Munich.
Credit: constructionenquirer.com
