Chelsea 'way off the pace' to land Battersea Power Station

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Communities, Housing

Chelsea Football Club are "way off the pace" with their £1 billion bid to buy Battersa Power Station and turn it into a new 60,000-seat stadium, it was revealed today.

The London club, which wants to build affordable homes as part of any redevelopment, are said to be also rans in the race to land the prestigious landmark site, a source close to the sale process told news agency Reuters.

Around 15 bidders including Chelsea submitted plans earlier this month to buy the protected 39-acre site on the south bank of the River Thames.

According to Reuters, Malaysian real estate company SP Setia and veteran British developer Godfrey Bradman are leading the chase to buy Battersea. He described the Chelsea bid as "way off the pace". A final decision could come as early as this week.

Chelsea said it has developed - alongside archiects and planning experts - a plan to preserve all the significant aspects of the power station and create a "world class stadium with a capacity of around 60,000 seats".

It said the four iconic chimneys and wash towers along with the Grade II* listed west turbine hall and control room will be restored and retained in their original locations and provide a "unique architectural backdrop" to the new stadium.

The development would include street-level retail shops, affordable housing and offices. The club also said it would make a "significant contribution" towards the Northern Line Extension, a new high-volume transport link proposed for the area.

Its initial plans for the rectagular stadium include a 15,000-all seated one-tier stand behind the south goal - likely to be the biggest one-tier stand in football.

In a statement, the club said: "We appreciate that we have many significant hurdles to address if we are to build a new stadium on the site, including winning the support of our fans, the CPO shareholders and local Wandsworth residents, as well as securing the approval of Wandsworth Council, the Greater London Authority and heritage authorities. We must also stress that making an offer for the Battersea Power Station site does not mean the club has made a definitive decision to leave Stamford Bridge."