Council planners approve 60,000 seat landmark
Chelsea has been given the all clear to go ahead with its Herzog & de Meuron-designed plans to redevelop its Stamford Bridge home.
The Premier League club submitted proposals to create a new 60,000-seat stadium 鈥� upping Stamford Bridge鈥檚 current capacity by almost 50% 鈥� to Hammersmith & Fulham council in November 2015.
Chelsea is now expected to begin looking for a contractor, with Multiplex, Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine thought to be likely bidders.
Planners at the council gave the 拢500m scheme the green light and in a statement the football club said: 鈥淲e are grateful that planning permission was granted for the redevelopment of our historic home.
鈥淭he 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.鈥�
The decision comes after a year of scrutiny, which has seen concerns over the scheme鈥檚 impact on issues ranging from the local bat population to traffic levels.
Herzog & de Meuron鈥檚 proposal will replace Stamford Bridge鈥檚 collection of disconnected stands with a single, unified brick-clad stadium, expanding the constrained site by decking over an adjacent railway line.
The practice, which was responsible for the 2008 Beijing Olympics鈥� 鈥淏ird鈥檚 Nest鈥� stadium, said its Chelsea design had been inspired by the gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey, which once owned the Stamford Bridge site and the brickwork of Fulham鈥檚 terraced streets.
Arcadis is cost manager, WSP and Schlaich Bergermann are providing engineering services, while WSP is also providing transport consultancy, and Aecom is strategic planner. The scheme鈥檚 鈥済othic skin鈥� facade is being engineered by Eckersley O鈥機allaghan.
In a report to the council鈥檚 planning applications committee meeting, case officer John Sanchez told members that Herzog & de Meuron鈥檚 design 鈥渉as met the demands of a potentially difficult brief鈥� and 鈥渂uilds upon the historic context of previous stadia on the site鈥�.
He added: 鈥淭he resulting design is a high quality piece of design and a unique architectural solution. It would have the landmark qualities of a significant sporting venue with a clear identity and would declutter and unify the site.鈥�
Sanchez said there will be 鈥渘o significant adverse effects as a result of the proposed development on any of the identified heritage assets, with the exception of the Billings and Brompton Conservation Area鈥�.
The report said government heritage adviser Historic England had observed that the new stadium would complement the setting of the nearby Grade I listed Brompton Cemetery 鈥渢o a greater degree than the present stadium, due to its uniformity and on the understanding that the new stadium is no higher than the existing [structure]鈥�.
Almost 800 local residents gave consultation responses, split across Hammersmith and Fulham and neighbouring Kensington and Chelsea. More than 70% supported the proposals.
London mayor Sadiq Khan still needs to approve the scheme.
Chelsea has previously targeted a 2021 completion date for the stadium.
No comments yet