English Premier League football club Chelsea’s plans to build a new stadium on the site of its current Stamford Bridge home ground could be in doubt after it emerged that construction work could affect the local bat population.
The nearby Brompton cemetery is home to a large number of bats and is also Grade I listed. The London Evening Standard newspaper, citing trade magazine Building, has reported that Hammersmith and Fulham Council – which must approve the development before work can begin – has said Chelsea’s environmental statement regarding the project’s impact on Brompton cemetery is “inconclusive”.
According to the council, the cemetery’s western catacombs provide a potential hibernation spot for the bats. The council has asked the club to confirm whether it has completed so-called “hibernation surveys”.
The council also added that developers had submitted “further information” regarding the construction, which it will assess before undergoing the next round of public consultation.
Chelsea submitted its planning application for the £500m (€585.9m/$661.6m) development to the council last year.
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