Chelsea Receives Council Approval for Stamford Bridge Expansion

The long planned Stamford Bridge Expansion to a 60,000 seat stadium is one step closer to getting underway, after the Premier League leaders receive green light from the Hammersmith & Fulham council.

(Image credit: The Guardian)

Chelsea released an official statement about the Stamford Bridge expansion plan which was approved by the council’s planning committee, but the club warned this won’t immediately lead to an actual expansion phase, as they’re yet to obtain other permissions necessary to carry out the long-awaited redevelopment.

“Tonight (Wednesday) the council’s planning committee considered the application and we are grateful that planning permission was granted for the redevelopment of our historic home,” read the statement regarding the Stamford Bridge expansion.

“The committee decision does not mean that work can begin on site. This is just the latest step, although a significant one, that we have to take before we can commence work, including obtaining various other permissions.”

The iconic ground currently maintains a capacity of just over 41,000, however it lags behind other Premier League rivals that have either moved to new grounds or increased the seating capacity of their current homes.

London rivals Arsenal have ditched Highbury and opted for a move to their current ground Emirates Stadium ahead of the 2006/07 season, which boasts a capacity of over 60,000. West Ham United – another club from the capital – have recently make a switch to the 60,000 seat Olympic Stadium, effectively increasing the capacity by a whopping 25,000, compared to their former 35,000 seat Boleyn Ground. Yet again Londoners Tottenham Hotspur have also recently announced plans they’ll be moving from White Hart Lane to a new, state-of-the-art stadium in the coming seasons.

Chelsea have been looking at options to increase their stadium’s capacity or move to a newly-built ground ever since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003, however the Blues faced a number of obstacles in both scenarios. An earlier proposed Stamford Bridge expansion got derailed (pun intended) as train tracks to the North-East of the stadium prohibited such a move, while moving away to a new home proved problematic with Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) – a supporter group that owns the freehold of Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s ground at the moment, before the long-awaited Stamford Bridge expansion takes place.
(Image credit: Evening Standard)

The special supporters’ group indicated that should the club relocate to a new stadium elsewhere, they wouldn’t be allowed to use the naming rights ‘Chelsea’ – the very name that has seen them win four Premier League titles and one Champions League crown, among lots of other trophies, since the Russian billionaire bought the club over 13 years ago.Luckily for the club, they’ve managed to find a better architectural solution to the Stamford Bridge expansion, which means that Abramovich and the rest of the Chelsea hierarchy won’t have to deal with the headache of finding a new home and going through arduous negotiations with CPO regarding the naming rights.

(Click here to find out more about CPO and the impact they could have on the planned Stamford Bridge expansion.)

With 49 points to their name, Chelsea sit atop the Premier League table after 20 rounds, five points clear off second-placed Liverpool. They’ve recently achieved a 13-game winning run in the English top flight, until making a visit to White Hart Lane on January 4, which saw Tottenham secure an easy 2:0 victory.

Bet on Chelsea with William Hill Sports before the club sets gears in motion for the Stamford Bridge expansion!

Despite suffering the defeat to Spurs – Chelsea’s only third loss this season – Antonio Conte’s men are favourite to lift the title outright 8/11 (1.73), with Liverpool being the only serious challengers 9/2 (5.50) at this stage of the league. Man City – who are in fourth on the table (42 points) – are third favourites to clinch their first crown 7/1 (8.00) since 2014, while Tottenham – who are one spot above Pep Guardiola’s men due to goal difference – have been dealt outsider odds 12/1 (13.00).  Arsenal 14/1 (15.00) and Man United 16/1 (17.00) seem to be out of the title race, considering the gap between them and the top sides.

(For more info about the online sportsbook, take a look at William Hill Sports Review – enjoy a wide variety of betting markets and enticing sportsbook bonuses!)