English Premier League football club Chelsea has suffered a setback in its plans to redevelop its current Stamford Bridge home after a local family raised concerns over the impact that the project will have on its house close to the stadium.
According to the BBC, the Crosthwaites have lived at their home for 50 years and last May took out an injunction over their belief that the new 60,000-capacity venue would block light from entering their house.
Chelsea has already gained planning permission for the project and the Mayor of London last year also signed off on the project, but the club has now been forced to call on the local council to take action.
Hammersmith and Fulham councillors are due to meet on Monday to discuss the case after Chelsea said that work cannot begin while there remains a risk of an injunction. The local council has warned that should rule in favour of the Crosthwaites, then the “development would not proceed as proposed”.
The Crosthwaites have already rejected Chelsea’s offer of legal advice worth £50,000 (€56,100/$68,100) and further compensation believed to be in the region of a six-figure sum.
Seemingly, the family is in the minority with its opposition to the stadium plans, after a public consultation of 13,000 local residents earned 97.5 percent support for the project. Chelsea has also paid compensation to other homeowners that have been affected by losing their ‘right to light’ as a result of the new venue.
Chelsea has already suffered a number of setbacks on the new stadium. In November, it was revealed that the project is to be delayed by three years.
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