Chelsea have received the go-ahead from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to continue with their £500m plans for Stamford Bridge.
The Blues plan to redevelop their home into a state-of-the-art 60,000-seat stadium, but they had been held up with third parties objecting to the changes.
However, after the Chelsea Pitch Owners, who own the actual playing surface at the ground, agreed to extend their lease, it came down to whether or not the Mayor would approve their plans.
As reported by ESPN FC, he has now done so which gives Chelsea the all-clear to press ahead with Hammersmith and Fulham council voting unanimously in favour of the plans in January.
“I’m confident this new stadium will be a jewel in London’s sporting crown and will attract visitors and football fans from around the world,” Khan is quoted as saying.
The decision to redevelop will ensure that the capacity of the stadium will increase from 41,000, thus leading to bigger revenue for the club, while they are also committed to community activities and contributions as part of the agreement.
It’s an exciting time for Chelsea supporters although they will naturally have to contend with having a temporary home while work is carried out, but to put them on a par with their Premier League rivals, an improvement is a necessity.
With the likes of Manchester United boasting top attendance figures at Old Trafford, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and now the Blues are all following suit in raising their own ceiling, and with all the permissions in place to push on, they can look forward to a sparkling new stadium in the coming years.