Chelsea FC’s dreams of transforming its Stamford bridge home into a modern 60,000-seater stadium have disappeared for now after its planning permission to get the project off the ground has expired.
The English Premier League soccer club had been given the green light to expand its west London stadium in 2017 with the condition that works would begin by March 31, 2020. However, the club has released a statement that read:
“Chelsea Football Club acknowledges that the planning permission we obtained for a new stadium expires on 31st March 2020.
“We are grateful to all our fans and stakeholders, especially Hammersmith & Fulham Council, for their patience and understanding in the matter. We will continue to consider our options for a new stadium, should economic conditions improve club owner Roman Abramovich”.
Impressive renderings of the renovations had been released that would have totally reimagined the look of Stamford Bridge including plans to boost its 41,837 capacity, which would have had it rival the likes of other London clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United for seats. However, Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich announced that due to unfavorable economic conditions and the UK government denying renewal of his Tier-1 visa, he put any work on hold.
Following the expiry of its planning permission, Chelsea FC will now have to begin the process all over again should it wish to do so. However, with current world events impacted by the coronavirus, including the postponing of the Premier League, there is doubt whether a new project will be looked at any time in the near future.
