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London Family Is Standing In The Way Of Chelsea’s £1 Billion Stadium Revamp

London Family Is Standing In The Way Of Chelsea’s £1 Billion Stadium Revamp

The Crosthwaites have launched a David and Goliath battle against the English Premier League giant...

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

With all the new stadia around Chelsea want to update theirs but they've hit a very big snag early on!

Chelsea's Stamford Bridge Stadium is one of the biggest in London, being able to hold more than 41,000 screaming fans every match. But club owner Roman Abramovich wants to bring the facility into the 21st century, which is understandable, considering it was built in 1876.

When it's completed, it will become the most expensive stadium in Europe, with a price tag of £1 billion ($1.3bn), and be able to seat 60,000 people.

However, Roman's dream might not be able to be realised as residents in a cottage next to the massive building are putting up a fight.

PA

The Crosthwaites have resided in their lovely home for 50 years and claim that the stadium's upgrade will cast a shadow over their property. England may not boast the most tropical of climes, but when the sun breaks through the clouds, you certainly don't want to be sitting in the dark.

The family have lodged an injunction with the local councils to stop the massive upgrade from going ahead. London Mayor Sadiq Khan signed off on the plans in January last year, saying the designs were 'high quality and spectacular'.

The BBC reports the Crosthwaites have been given a six-figure sum by Chelsea and £50,000 ($68,000) worth of legal advice to drop their issue - however it appears they're holding firm.

Herzog & de Meuron

They're relying on a UK law called 'Right to Light', which stipulates that "the owner of a building with windows that have received natural daylight for 20 years or more is entitled to forbid any construction or other obstruction that would deprive him or her of that illumination."

One of the residents of the home, Rose, has told the BBC: "[A lack of sunlight] is deemed as having an unacceptable and harmful impact by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea."

Herzog & de Meuron

The Premier League club is pretty insistent on getting the stadium upgraded, saying it will 'further enhance the economic, cultural and social services they provide'.

They could even use that argument to persuade Hammersmith and Fulham council to acquire the Crosthwaites land if it contributes to their mission.

While a report will be discussed by councillors on Monday, they've been warned that the club won't be able to start the upgrade or get development finances until the injunction is settled.

The new home for the Blues isn't expected to be completed until 2024 or 2025.

Sources: BBC

Featured Image Credit: Herzog & de Meuron

Topics: SPORT, Football News, UK News, Chelsea, News, Premier League, UK