New Chelsea Stadium Not Part of Earl's Court Scheme
Developer dismisses speculation as planning application submitted
The Earl's Court scheme would include 4,000 flats if approved. Picture: ECDC
September 12, 2024
A major development on Earl’s Court will be one step closer to becoming reality next week after two West London councils confirmed they will be validating the plans. Hammersmith and Fulham Council it will rubber stamp Earl’s Court Development Company’s (ECDC) application for 4,000 new flats and three cultural centres on 16 September while Kensington and Chelsea Council said it would do likewise.
The boroughs, which are responsible for granting planning permission, stressed validating an application is merely confirming receipt of it and is the first step in the planning process. The plans will then be made available on the councils’ planning portals and open to a period of consultation.
It comes as the ECDC dismissed media reports Chelsea FC was looking to build a multi-use stadium on its site and iterated it had no plans to add one to its proposal. An ECDC spokesperson said: “There is no plan within our plans for Chelsea FC to relocate to the Earls Court site.
“We have a fully detailed design, shortly to be registered with both local authorities, which prioritises the delivery of thousands of homes and jobs, culture and open space through a well-designed and considered masterplan which has evolved over four years of engagement. This will see development commence in 2026 with the first residents and occupiers moving in from 2030. This is, and will remain, our primary focus.”
The future of Stamford Bridge, Chelsea FC’s home ground, has come under renewed scrutiny after The Guardian claimed the club had held talks over leaving the stadium and moving to Earl’s Court to resolve their plans for a bigger arena. The publication reported discussions allegedly took place between the club, Transport for London (TfL) and real estate developer Delancey, who are stakeholders in ECDC, their website shows.
1,000 flats are planned in phase one, with buildings as high as 27 storeys tall, such as Parkview. Picture: ECDC
It claimed Jason Gannon, the Chelsea chief executive, had had productive talks with the stakeholders and had identified the Lillie Bridge depot as the area on which to build. The publication added the club would need an agreement with Chelsea Pitch Owners, which holds the freehold of Stamford Bridge stadium and could block any attempt to move.
It also claimed ECDC’s plan would be presented to Kensington and Chelsea Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Council as early as next week. According to the Guardian, increasing the capacity from 40,343 is a major priority for the owners and the difficulty of redeveloping the ground has led the club to look for a new site in west London.
But the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands these plans will not include space for a football stadium. It understands ECDC is not in discussions with Chelsea FC and that the developer is regularly approached by organisations, investors and potential occupiers who express an interest in being part of the future of Earls Court.
It understands documents relating to the application should be available on Kensington and Chelsea Council’s planning portal from some time next week. Chelsea FC has been contacted for comment but has not yet provided one. Delancey and TfL were also contacted and guided the LDRS to ECDC’s statement.
In November 2022 it was reported the club had assembled a team to look into creating a new stadium at the Earl’s Court site, which had been blocked by Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Subject to approval, work on the Earl’s Court site is expected to start in 2026. In addition to the 4,000-plus homes, ECDC is proposing amenities including three cultural venues, new gardens and a 4.5-acre urban park.
Of the flats, 35 per cent are expected to be affordable. The first phase will consist of 1,000 units, a cultural centre, workspace and 20 acres of public realm. ECDC also said it projects the potential redevelopment will add £1.2 billion to the economy, and £100 million to the annual spend locally.
Adrian Zorzut - Local Democracy Reporter
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