Chelsea have been dealt a significant blow in their plans to build a new stadium at Earl’s Court, as the Blues continue to look ahead to life after Stamford Bridge
Chelsea’s ambitions for a new stadium at Earl’s Court have suffered a major setback after rival plans for the site were approved by one of the local councils. According to The Athletic, Hammersmith and Fulham council has given the go-ahead to proposals for a development on the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre location.
The scheme, spearheaded by the Earl’s Court Development Company (ECDC), encompasses a mix of new residential properties, shops, restaurants, and commercial spaces. A statement from the group read: “the 44-acre, £10billion masterplan will transform central London’s largest cleared development site, which spans both the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
“This first milestone paves the way for ECDC to work with partners across the public and private sectors to move forwards with plans to start on site as soon as possible.”
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Approximately 4,000 new homes and 12,000 employment opportunities are expected to emerge from the site’s transformation. Nevertheless, Kensington and Chelsea council has yet to cast its vote on the plans, and securing planning consent doesn’t guarantee the Earls Court project will proceed.
Former owner Roman Abramovich and Chelsea are familiar with this scenario, having secured approval for a 60,000-capacity stadium at the existing Stamford Bridge location, only for the construction to stall due to difficulties surrounding Abramovich’s visa status.
The council’s decision is a massive boost for the ECDC project, effectively ruling out a new Chelsea stadium on that site, which was first earmarked as a potential site for a new ground over 20-years-ago.
In a 460-page document submitted for Wednesday’s council meeting, the only mention of football was a discussion about overcrowding at local tube stations on matchdays, with no reference to a new ground in the ECDC’s plans.
Chelsea’s president and chief operating officer, Jason Gannon, is spearheading the Blues’ new stadium project, having played a significant role in the creation of the 70,000 seater SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
If the ECDC proposals get the go-ahead, it seems likely that Chelsea will turn their attention to redeveloping Stamford Bridge after snapping up 1.9 acres of land next to the ground in 2023.
Should the Blues decide to revamp Stamford Bridge, they would probably have to find a temporary home, much like London rivals Tottenham Hotspur did during the 2017/18 and 18/19 seasons while their new stadium was under construction.
One of the main reasons for Chelsea looking to expand their 40,044 capacity is due to financial reasons amid the ongoing fight with PSR.
The Blues have smaller stadiums than both Arsenal and West Ham, bringing in roughly £1.5m less than their London rivals on a macthday.
Given there are 38 games in a Premier League campaign, Chelsea are missing out on nearly £200m over five years.
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