Chelsea accept their planning permission for £1BILLION Stamford Bridge extension will pass Tuesday
Chelsea accept that planning permission to overhaul Stamford Bridge will expire on Tuesday due to the scale of the coronavirus pandemic but owner Roman Abramovich is refusing to shelve plans for a new ground.
The club, along with many of their rivals, are facing financially uncertain times, due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the return of the Premier League still unknown.
Abramovich wants to expand Stamford Bridge to a 60,000-seater stadium in a move that could cost up to £1billion. But, for the foreseeable future, the current global health crisis has put the project on hold.
Chelsea’s plans to expand Stamford Bridge to a 60,000-seater stadium are to be put on hold with planning permission due to expire at the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic
The council approved Chelsea’s planning permission bid back in 2017 but work has not begun
Owner Roman Abramovich wanted to extend to a 60,000 seater that would cost £1billion
In 2017, the west London side were granted permission to begin knocking down buildings around their stadium over a period of three years, however, not one building has been demolished and the expiry date is March 31.
Chelsea owner Abramovich stopped any working on the project in 2018 due to strained diplomatic relations.
The Blues owner saw his investor visa application revoked by the British government due to his close relationship with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The west London club will now consider their ‘options should economic conditions improve’
In a statement posted to their website, the club wrote: ‘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.’
Abramovich’s plans to extend the stadium are not completely over, and while he is likely to revisit expansion plans following the easing of the pandemic, no new date has been revealed as of yet.
