Chelsea submits bid for Battersea Power Station

Chelsea Football Club has confirmed it has submitted an offer to purchase the Battersea Power Station in a bid to turn to develop a new 60,000 seat stadium on the site.

In a statement the Premier League club said it had submitted an offer, with its property development partner Almacantar, to acquire the 39-acre Battersea Power Station site.

The club said: “Battersea Power Station is one of London’s most famous buildings and has the potential to become one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world.

“Our joint bid was submitted in accordance with the sales process established by the Joint Administrators for the site. The process could run for a number of months.

“We are not the only interested parties and there is no certainty that we will be successful.”

As reported in Building in March, architect Kohn Pederson Fox said it had developed a “very beautiful scheme” for Chelsea to relocate to Battersea Power Station.

The club said “many significant hurdles” remained before it could acquire the site, including “winning the support of our fans”, shareholders and Wandsworth residents, as well as securing the approval of Wandsworth Council, the Greater London Authority and heritage authorities.

Wandsworth council leader Ravi Govindia, has previously questioned whether Chelsea’s plan would fit in with existing plans.

The club said its plan for the site would preserve all the significant aspects of Battersea Power Station.

“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 a world-class stadium with a capacity of around 60,000 seats,” it said.

The club said the stadium plan would include a 15,000-all seated one-tier stand behind the south goal, which was “likely to be the biggest one-tier stand in football”. It added that the stadium would be rectangular in shape, with four separate stands.

As well as a new stadium the development would also include a town centre with street-level retail shops, affordable housing and offices, the club said. The statement added that the club would also make a “significant contribution” towards the proposed Northern Line Extension - a key infrastructure project championed by the mayor of London.

The previous redevelopment plan, being taken forward by Real Estate Opportunities, collapsed into administration in November last year after it was unable to pay debts to Lloyds Bank and Irish bad bank NAMA.

Administrators were reported to be optimistic the sale of the site, valued at about £500m, would complete in the first half of 2012.