This week, Chelsea Football Club received planning approval from the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham to build a new 60,000-seat stadium on its Stamford Bridge site. The Council’s approval is the culmination of twelve months of planning process.
The Club will now need to obtain various other permissions, including from the Mayor of London.
Speaking in the wake of this announcement, Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, Greg Hands, said: “I am proud to have represented Chelsea Football Club as their local Member of Parliament over the past twelve years. I have always been supportive in principle of the Club remaining at its historic home of more than 110 years.
"There is a commercial case for the Club to expand, and to be able to have a stadium commensurate with its modern status, and to keep up with Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and others.
“Nevertheless, I have engaged with the Club, and raised various concerns throughout this process – some of which have already been resolved after my pressure – and I commend the Club for being helpful.
“I will now continue working with Chelsea to make sure that they listen to local residents’ and other stakeholders’ concerns, and that any impact from the redevelopment on the local area is mitigated as far as is reasonable.”
Chelsea Football Club’s statement can be found here, and more information on this approval can be found on the Council’s website.