Football
Chelsea moved a step
closer to their new stadium after Hammersmith & Fulham Council has approved
the club’s planning application to build a new 60,000-seat stadium.
The decision was made on
Wednesday night (11 January) at a meeting of the Council’s Planning and
Development Control Committee.
The new stadium will be
built within the grounds of Stamford Bridge in Fulham Road, and will require
the demolition of the existing stadium.
H&F Council Leader,
Cllr Stephen Cowan, said: “Chelsea’s new stadium will deliver some real
benefits to the borough. But we have also made it clear to the club that we
fully expect them to work with local residents to minimise the disruption of
the works.
“We are happy to help
usher in this exciting new phase in Chelsea FC’s history. And we will continue
to work hard to deliver as many protections and benefits as possible for the
area by working with the club and local residents.”
During the consultation
about the scheme, 70 per cent of respondents said they were in favour of the
re-development of the stadium.
The new stadium plans will
also include a new club shop, kiosks, museum and a restaurant/café.
The works would see
decking platforms built over the District Line to the north-west and over the
Southern rail line to the east.
Once the works are
completed, pedestrians will be able to walk to the ground on match days from
Fulham Broadway Station and Fulham Road, with motorists able to access the site
via Wansdown Place.
Chelsea FC now have three
years to begin work on the site before the approval expires.
The brick-clad stadium –
which won plaudits from members of the planning committee for its look – was
designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, the same firm which created the
‘Bird Nest’ stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
As a condition of the
approval, the council has required Chelsea FC to create a new Business and
Community Liaison Group to inform residents and businesses of the different
stages of the demolition and construction programme, working hours and to provide
a 24-hour contact for residents and businesses if they have a concern about the
works.
The club is also required
to install bird and bat boxes during the works to help protect local wildlife,
as well as creating at least 427 cycle racks in the development. This is part
of H&F’s push to become the greenest council in the country.
Credit: FCbusiness
Credit: FCbusiness
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