Contract Awarded for Fulham FC's Stadium Development
Club will increase capacity to 30,000 and open up riverwalk
Buckingham Group Contracting, which specialises in building sports and leisure facilities, has been awarded the main contract to redevelop Fulham Football Club's Riverside Stand to increase the capacity of Craven Cottage by 4,300 seats.
That means work is set to begin on the development, which was given planning permission in July 26 last year,
Home to the club since 1896, Craven Cottage currently accommodates 25,700 fans but can now expand to 30,000.
The plans mean that the Riverside Stand, nearest to the Thames, will be partially demolished and extended to include a new upper tier that will wrap around the existing stand and create new hospitality space, a new riverside facade, new roof and four residential units.
The plan also allows for the partial demolition and rebuild of the western ends of the Putney and Hammersmith stands, including installation of new seats and the removal of two floodlight masts.
The riverside walk along the Thames will be opened up on non-match days and FFC will make a £600,000 contribution for the restoration of Bishops Park, plus an annual contribution of £40,000 per year for 10 years for on-going maintenance of the park and pay £60,000 to install heritage gates at the Stevenage Road entrance to Bishops Park.
FFC will make a series of payments to improve signage, CCTV, and pedestrian and road safety measures in the area, as part of the planning consent. The club will also continue to provide stewards to manage the crowds outside the ground and additional street cleaning on match days.
When planning permission was granted last summer, Alistair Mackintosh, CEO of Fulham Football Club said: "This is extremely exciting news and we are all delighted with this outcome. Craven Cottage is synonymous with Fulham FC and it is vital that the Club is given every opportunity to develop the facilities available to ensure that it can continue to prosper and compete, and remain at its home for the long term."
Cllr Nicholas Botterill, H&F Council Leader, said: " Craven Cottage is the historic home of Fulham Football Club and this modest expansion, which will be carried out in a sensitive and sensible way, will allow the club to remain competitive in the top tier of English football while removing the existing, rather ugly, Riverside Stand. Our residents will also enjoy a series of community benefits such as an opened up river walk and improvements at Bishops Park.
" We are the only borough in Britain to be the home to three top-flight football clubs and we are keen to work with all of them to get the best deal for our residents."
April 12, 2013
April 12, 2013
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