Chelsea have moved a step closer to a new, bigger stadium after applying for a permission to redevelop Stamford Bridge to a 60,000-capacity ground.
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The full planning application includes the demolition of the existing 41,600-seater stadium to make way for the club’s new home.
The club submitted plans for a new stadium at the iconic Battersea Power station alongside the River Thames but they were thrown out in 2012.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who bought the club in 2003, would finance the work, which has an estimated cost of £500 million.
Details of the plans, published on the Hammersmith and Fulham Council website, outline the impact on the local area and the transport links that may be affected. The build would be complicated and more lengthy in duration if Chelsea were to remain on site, adding to the cost.
According to the most recent figures compiled by financial analysts Deloitte, Chelsea generated 85 million euros ($90.1 million) in match-day revenue in the 2013-14 season.
Chelsea have played at the Bridge since 1905 but have been assessing options in recent years because the capacity is significantly less than the stadia of rivals Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City.
The build would be complex and involve excavation, with the plan to lower the arena into the ground to achieve the capacity on a 12-acre site.
Included in the application are plans to build a club shop, museum and a separate restaurant/cafe zone.
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The council have set a deadline for comments on the application of Friday, 8 January 2016.
