Battersea Power Station (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I count Battersea as South Pimlico so it’s great news that Chelsea Football Club intend to relocate to South Pimlico. Or is it? The winners of this years FA Cup have submitted a formal offer to purchase the site of Battersea power station which, if accepted, could lead to the club leaving Stamford Bridge and the development of “one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world” at a cost of more than £1bn.
The plan for the 39-acre site at Battersea Nine Elms would involve creating the most iconic football stadium in the world – just over the bridge from Pimlico which would become a major thoroughfare for supporters every Saturday. The Grade II listed former electricity power station was put up for sale earlier this year following the collapse last November of an Irish-backed scheme to revamp the area, with the site having been valued at around £500m a month earlier.
Chelsea are cautious over their prospects and have stressed no final decision has been made to leave their home of 107 years but, with redeveloping Stamford Bridge restrictive in terms of cost, and few suitable available areas within a three-mile radius, they recognised the availability of the site on the south bank of the Thames as an opportunity that could not be ignored.
Chelsea would attempt to incorporate into the design for a 60,000-seater stadium, with all four chimneys and wash towers, along with the Grade II listed west turbine hall and control room, to be retained in their original locations. The architect Rafael Viñoly has collaborated with the practice Kohn Pedersen Fox on the plans put forward by Almacantar, and Chelsea’s initial proposal includes a 15,000 all-seated one-tier stand behind the south goal, with the stadium effectively built within the familiar brickwork shell of the power station. The proposals would maintain the essential character of the building, which was built in the 1930s and ceased generating electricity in 1983.
The club has also pledged to make a “significant contribution”, believed to be around £200m, towards the Northern Line extension from Kennington via Nine Elms to connect the proposed newstadium to the London Underground network. The development would also include a town centre with street-level retail units, housing and offices.
Chelsea have made no secret of their desire to increase match-day revenues and have been frustrated by the reality that Stamford Bridge is hemmed in on all sides with further redevelopment deemed unviable economically. While they continue to seek sponsors interested in taking up naming rights for their current home, they have also scrutinised various sites within their prescribed three-mile radius and retain an interest in an area at the northern end of Earl’s Court, whose owners Capital & Counties plc are currently pursuing residential and commercial developments of the site, and also White City.
Funding the Battersea project would initially require the sale for redevelopment of Stamford Bridge – potentially for up to £400m – meaning the club will still need to convince shareholders in CPO, the fan-led group that owns the pitch, the turnstiles and the land upon which the arena’s four stands are built, to sell the freehold for the current stadium. They failed to convince CPO at an extraordinary general meeting last October and, at some stage in the future, will re-visit that issue with SayNoCPO insistent that “the viability of redeveloping Stamford Bridge is still a very relevant issue”.
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