Clock ticks down on Chelsea’s dreams to build new £500m ground at Stamford Bridge

By Julia Gregory, Local Democracy Reporter

Chelsea fans are resigned to the clock ticking down on the club’s dreams of building a £500 million new stadium at Stamford Bridge.

Planning permission for the Blues’ multi-million pound scheme to boost its capacity from 41,600 to 60,000 runs out next month.

It means the £500m scheme has been put on hold and a club spokesman admitted he did not know what would happen in the future.

He would not comment on whether it was looking elsewhere or at a fresh scheme.

But fans commenting in forum groups are resigned to the fact that plan was put on ice – for now.

One wrote: “I just don’t see how there could ever be a viable commercial return on investment for what it would cost to do this re-build…not surprised there is a loss of appetite for the scheme.”

And First Team Regular wrote on the ShedEnd fans forum: “Eventually we are going to have to do something about the stadium, it is going to need renovating at some stage which will cost money. Even if it isn’t a rebuild.

“Some people think the reason we shouldn’t build a new stadium is because of the harm it will do us over the next five years. I think in terms of the significant damage it will cause us in 20 years if we don’t build a new stadium.”

Chelsea submitted its application in 2015 for the major scheme which included a new shop and museum, along with a cafe and restaurant.

The plan got the nod from Hammersmith and Fulham council in January 2017, and because it was such a major scheme, it was also considered by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan who too approved it.

The ambitious scheme also included an elevated walk way over the nearby District line, linking the stadium to Fulham Broadway station.

Mr Khan said he was satisfied the new stadium was a “high-quality and spectacular design” which would significantly boost capacity for the Premier League club.

The Blues put the plan on hold, blaming the “current unfavourable investment climate”.

It is not the first time the club has had a facelift since it was founded in 1876.

Work was done back in 1904-05 and again in 1998 to modernise the ground.