Chelsea to get new stadium after London mayor Khan gives final approval.
Chelsea's application to build a £500 million state of the art stadium at Stamford Bridge has finally been given the green light.
The Premier League leaders overcame the final planning hurdle to redevelop their ground after Mayor Sadiq Khan backed the scheme.
Billionaire Roman Abramovich's club can now begin preparations on the brand-new stadium which will increase stadium capacity from 41,600 to 60,000.
The Blues will need to play their games at another location during the build, most likely at Wembley Stadium, as work is expected to take three years.
Stamford Bridge is currently only the 86th biggest football stadium in Europe and will also drop to the fourth largest in London when Tottenham's new home opens.
Chelsea will be able to significantly boost match day income, with 13,374 extra general admission tickets available and the number of hospitality seats doubling to 9,200.
The landmark decision, a huge day in the history of the west London club, will also create more opportunities for lucrative sponsorship and naming rights.
Mr Khan said the new stadium, designed by architects Herzog and de Meuron, creators of the Birds Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing, would be "the jewel in London's sporting crown".
The Mayor said he was satisfied the new stadium, expected to be ready for the 2020-21 campaign, was a "high-quality and spectacular design" as he gave it final approval.
He said: "London is one of the world's greatest sporting cities and I'm delighted that we will soon add Chelsea's new stadium to the already fantastic array of sporting arenas in the capital.
"Having taken a balanced view of the application, I'm satisfied this is a high-quality and spectacular design which will significantly increase capacity within the existing site, as well as ensuring fans can have easy access from nearby transport connections.
"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."
The application also includes an investment of £12 million in community activities, such as employment and skills training, as well as a contribution of £3.75 million towards affordable housing in the borough.
