QPR unveils new stadium plan

Championship football club Queen’s Park Rangers has unveiled plans for a new 40,000 seater stadium as part of a major regeneration project in west London’s Old Oak area.

Architects Sir Terry Farrell, CZWG and Populous as well as consultant EC Harris are workign on the scheme.

Farrell is also working on the wider regeneration plan, which is backed by London mayor Boris Johnson and would cover an area larger than Canary Wharf and boasting 24,000 new homes.

The club is partnering with Stadium Capital Developments, run by entrepreneur Anthony Spencer, who was involved in the development of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Spencer said : “We envisage a new vibrant, mixed-use and high-quality entertainment and leisure development, which will turn this neglected but tremendously well-connected area into a new world-class city quarter.

“We are talking to a number of world-class architects to design iconic tall buildings akin to New York, the Far East and London’s finest, as well as improving and incorporating the waterside environment of the Grand Union Canal. We have assembled a top-class professional team to design tens of thousands of new homes, a 350 bedroom luxury hotel and millions of square feet of entertainment and leisure focused commercial space including: retail, studios and offices, bars and clubs, restaurants, cinemas and other leisure accommodation.”

QPR chairman, Tony Fernandes, said: “Loftus Road is - and always will be - a special place for the club and our supporters, but we need more than an 18,000 capacity.

“With no option of expanding here, we have to look elsewhere and we welcome the Mayor’s and Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s commitment to regenerate the area, which includes an option to develop a new stadium at Old Oak as a key catalyst to bring forward redevelopment, cementing our future in this part of West London.

“Not only will this give us a top quality stadium to cater for QPR’s needs as the club progresses and grows over the years ahead, but we are very excited about being the driving force behind creating one of the best new urban places in the world.”